New Mexico Attorney General Accuses DOJ of Hindering Epstein Ranch Probe

Former New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas says the U.S. Department of Justice, through the Southern District of New York, failed to honor a July 2019 informal agreement to provide evidence for the state’s renewed investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch in New Mexico. Balderas cited a handwritten note and an email from James Comey’s daughter that indicate the SDNY was to refer state‑related matters back to the New Mexico Department of Justice, a promise he says was not kept.

Balderas, who left office in January 2023, sent a letter to the current New Mexico Attorney General alleging that the DOJ’s actions have impeded the state’s probe and calling the federal office “by proxy” responsible for the obstruction. The dispute centers on the handling of evidence and interview referrals related to the Epstein case.