Jeffrey Epstein's sprawling 7600-acre estate in New Mexico - the Zorro Ranch, which was locally referred to as the "playboy ranch" - is set to undergo a high-stakes probe. The property, long shadowed by allegations of abuse, is located about 30 miles south of Santa Fe, and has for years, been the subject of civil lawsuits and survivor accounts. Now, a bipartisan "truth commission" set up by the New Mexico House of Representatives will examine the murky goings-on at the ranch and who may have known about it.
The four-member panel will seek testimony and witness accounts from survivors who allege that they were trafficked or sexually abused at the property. Local residents have also been asked to come forward with statements. The $2.5 million investigation carries subpoena authority and will likely publish its findings in July, followed by a report by the year-end.
Jeffrey Epstein at his Zorro Ranch (Photo: US Department of Justice)
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Epstein died in 2019 in an alleged case of suicide, while he was jailed in New York and was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Epstein's survivors have long argued that the Zorro Ranch has not faced the same level of scrutiny as his Caribbean island or his Manhattan townhouse. "Many of the survivors had experiences in New Mexico, and as we've learned, you know, there were local politicians and other people that were aware of what was happening in New Mexico," said attorney Sigrid McCawley, whose firm represents hundreds of Epstein survivors, including Virginia Giuffre.
Giuffre had alleged that she was abused multiple times at the ranch. In a 2016 deposition, Giuffre testified that Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell instructed her to give massage to former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson at the ranch. In her memoir, Giuffre wrote that such instructions meant providing a sexual encounter. Richardson, however, denied the charges, with his representative, Madeleine Mahoney, saying in 2019 that Giuffre's allegations were "completely false."
As per a 2007 FBI account by ranch manager Brice Gordon, Epstein frequently flew guests and "masseuses" to the ranch. Gordon told the FBI that many masseuses working at the ranch were hired locally, including through Ten Thousand Waves, a Santa Fe spa. Spa spokesperson Sara Bean, however, denied that the business provided or referred masseuses to Zorro Ranch. In the documentary "Surviving Jeffrey Epstein," former Santa Fe massage therapist Rachel Benavidez alleged that she was sexually abused after being hired to work at the ranch.
Civil lawsuits accuse Epstein of sexually assaulting girls at the Zorro estate over many years, though he was never criminally charged for them. Romero noted that there were no records of federal authorities searching the property, despite allegationst hat Epstein had sexually abused a 16-year-old girl there as early as 1996.
A probe was launched in 2019 by then New Mexico attorney general Hector Balderas. However, it was paused at the request of federal prosecutors to avoid a "parallel investigation".
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