New Mexico lawmakers just unanimously voted to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s former Zorro Ranch—and more specifically, why allegations of sexual abuse at the property were never fully investigated by federal or state law enforcement in the first place.
The state House approved legislation Monday creating a bipartisan “truth commission” to examine what happened at the sprawling Santa Fe-area ranch during Epstein’s ownership from 1993 until his death in 2019.
“The goal is to understand why the crimes that were reported to federal and state authorities were never fully investigated and to ensure that we have safeguards in place to not only hold those individuals accountable, who were complicit, but to ensure that this never happens again in our state,” Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) said in a video address.
Multiple civil suits have accused Epstein of sexually assaulting girls at the property, including the late Virginia Giuffre, who provided photos she said were taken of herself at the ranch in a 2015 court document. Epstein was never charged in connection with the allegations.
The commission must submit an interim report by July and a final report by year’s end, detailing its findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
Here’s where it gets interesting: The ranch was purchased in 2023 by Texas businessman Donald Huffines, a former Republican state senator now running for Texas comptroller. Huffines, who describes himself as “a courageous MAGA Republican,” used an LLC to buy the property anonymously and reportedly never visited it before the purchase.
Stansbury called that “interesting” and noted that Huffines’ son works in the Trump administration. “Now, we don’t know if these ties mean anything,” she said, before detailing allegations that two women were killed and buried on the property following a sex act.
New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard has called on federal and state law enforcement to investigate the public land surrounding Epstein’s former property following the buried bodies claim. “I’m horrified when I learned something new, especially when I learned that state land could have been used, could have been involved in some of these monstrous activities,” Richard told Albuquerque station KRQE.
The New Mexico Department of Justice responded that the body allegations are “unsubstantiated” and that more information is needed before determining whether further action is warranted.
Representatives for Huffines did not respond to requests for comment.