Latest / The Vault: The Epstein Files / New Mexico And The Epstein Related Lawsuit Filed Against The DOJ (Part 3) (10/17/26)

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New Mexico And The Epstein Related Lawsuit Filed Against The DOJ (Part 3) (10/17/26) · The Vault: The Epstein Files

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  Speaker 1: What's up everyone and welcome to another episode of the
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  Speaker 1: Epstein Chronicles. In this episode, we're going to dive right
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  Speaker 1: back in to the New Mexico lawsuit filed against the
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  Speaker 1: Department of Justice. On April 1st, 2026, NMDOJ Special Counsel
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  Speaker 1: Sean Sullivan spoke with U.S. DOJ Associate Deputy Attorney General
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  Speaker 1: Diego Pastana regarding NMDOJ's request. Mr. Pastana expressed U.S. DOJ's
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  Speaker 1: willingness to engage collaboratively with NMDOJ's investigation and acknowledge the
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  Speaker 1: critical importance of NMDOJ's investigation in ensuring justice for survivors.
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  Speaker 1: But contrary to historical practice, Mr. Bastana demanded that NMDOJ
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  Speaker 1: submit a formal TUI request addressed to DNM and the
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  Speaker 1: local New Mexico FBI field office. On April 7, 2026, Mr.
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  Speaker 1: Sullivan emailed Mr. Bastana at USDOJ confirming that per USDOJ's request,
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  Speaker 1: NMDOJ would memorialize our request in a TUI letter and
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  Speaker 1: provide to the local FBI field office with the anticipation
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  Speaker 1: that it will ultimately make its way to FBI headquarters.
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  Speaker 1: On May 1, 2026, in telephone conversations, Mr. Sullivan informed
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  Speaker 1: DNM First Assistant Ryan Ellison and FBI Albuquerque Special Agent
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  Speaker 1: in Charge Justin Garris of the impending TUI request from NMDOJ.
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  Speaker 1: ON MAY 3, 2026, MR. SULLIVAN SENT, VIA CERTIFIED MAIL,
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  Speaker 1: A FORMAL TUI REQUEST FROM NMDOJ PURSUANT TO 28 CFR
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  Speaker 1: SECTION 1621-1629, 2026, TO FIRST ASSISTANT ELLISON AND SPECIAL AGENT
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  Speaker 1: IN CHARGE GARRIS. AS IS REQUIRED BY THE USDOJ'S TUI REGULATION,
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  Speaker 1: NMDOJ TUI REQUEST PROVIDED A SUMMARY OF INFORMATION THOUGHT AND
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  Speaker 1: ITS RELEVANCE TO NEW MEXICO'S INVESTIGATION. The letter requested access
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  Speaker 1: to unredacted documents collected, assembled, and prepared in connection with
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  Speaker 1: investigations and prosecutions of Epstein and his associates, previously handled
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  Speaker 1: by the USDOJ, as well as any relevant, non-privileged, unreleased files,
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  Speaker 1: Exhibit 14 at 3, and requested a response by May 11, 2026,
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  Speaker 1: in order to finalize the logistics of access to these materials.
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  Speaker 1: NMDOJ's TUI request informed USDOJ that NMDOJ is currently investigating
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  Speaker 1: potential felony offenses under the New Mexico State Criminal Code,
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  Speaker 1: including but not limited to homicide, kidnapping, criminal sexual penetration,
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  Speaker 1: criminal sexual contact, and human trafficking. NMDOJ's TUI request highlighted
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  Speaker 1: nine specific records by document control number, i.e. by Bates,
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  Speaker 1: number beginning EFTA, that relate to the predicate facts of
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  Speaker 1: these criminal offenses under New Mexico law. These records reflected
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  Speaker 1: patterns and practices of criminal behavior by Epstein, Maxwell, and
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  Speaker 1: their associates occurring in New Mexico and at Zorro Ranch.
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  Speaker 1: The perpetrators described in these records were not limited to
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  Speaker 1: Epstein and Maxwell. USDOJ's own prosecution memorandum for the investigation
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  Speaker 1: into potential co-conspirators of Jeffrey Epstein describes a sexual assault
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  Speaker 1: by a woman who was not Ghislaine Maxwell occurring at
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  Speaker 1: Zorro Ranch. Another FBI interview summary, which does not redact
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  Speaker 1: the name of either Epstein or Maxwell, recounts, the first
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  Speaker 1: assault happened in New Mexico. Epstein and redacted were both
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  Speaker 1: there in the room. Other records requested by NMDOJ refer
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  Speaker 1: to Epstein's inner circle to visitors to Zorro Ranch and
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  Speaker 1: to staff of Zorro Ranch, some of whom are alleged
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  Speaker 1: to have participated in abuse or witnessed the circumstances surrounding abuse,
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  Speaker 1: but the names of these persons are frequently redacted. The
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  Speaker 1: identities and roles of persons whose names are redacted are
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  Speaker 1: material to New Mexico's ongoing criminal investigation. As NMDOJ explained
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  Speaker 1: in its TUI request, access to unredacted names and details
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  Speaker 1: would allow NMDOJ investigators to identify potential witnesses, including additional
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  Speaker 1: victims or additional corroborating witnesses, identify potential unindicted perpetrators, verify
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  Speaker 1: travel movements, and conduct a more thorough examination of criminal
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  Speaker 1: behavior in New Mexico. The refusal of USDOJ to disclose
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  Speaker 1: their identities to NMDOJ impedes its ability to conduct follow-up
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  Speaker 1: interviews and compel the production of relevant material from sources directly.
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  Speaker 1: Further investigation by NMDOJ would help advance the pursuit of
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  Speaker 1: justice for survivors. NMDOJ would examine Maxwell and other roles
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  Speaker 1: in Epstein's criminal behavior and assess whether their involvement constituted
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  Speaker 1: a conspiracy or accessory liability under New Mexico law. On
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  Speaker 1: May 4th, 2026 Special Agent in Charge Garris replied to Mr. Sullivan,
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  Speaker 1: transmitting the TUI request. Garris asserted that FBI ABQ will
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  Speaker 1: coordinate with FBI headquarters and other field offices regarding any
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  Speaker 1: requests associated with the TUI letter. On May 15, 2026, Mr.
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  Speaker 1: Sullivan learned from FBI Albuquerque that their office did not
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  Speaker 1: have an update on the status of USDOJ's response to
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  Speaker 1: the TUI request, and that USDOJ and officials from SDNY
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  Speaker 1: had the lead on the matter. On May 27, 2026, Mr.
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  Speaker 1: Sullivan reiterated the urgency of NMDOJ's need for access to
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  Speaker 1: the material requested in the TUI letter. and a voicemail
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  Speaker 1: message left for Mr. Pastana at USDOJ after Mr. Sullivan
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  Speaker 1: was unable to reach him directly. On May 29, 2026,
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  Speaker 1: after receiving no response from USDOJ, NMDOJ reiterated its request
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  Speaker 1: for access to pertinent unredacted records in the custody of USDOJ,
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  Speaker 1: in a certified letter sent to then-Acting Attorney General Blanche
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  Speaker 1: and to Associate Deputy Director General Pastana. NMDOJ explained that
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  Speaker 1: access was necessary for New Mexico law enforcement to identify
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  Speaker 1: victims and corroborating witnesses, develop investigative leads, understand relationships among actors,
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  Speaker 1: reconstruct accurate timelines, authenticate critical evidence, pursue necessary legal process
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  Speaker 1: such as warrants or subpoenas, and fully comprehend the scope
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  Speaker 1: and nature of the underlying criminal conduct. The letter reiterated
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  Speaker 1: NMDOJ's intent to minimize access any administrative burdens on USDOJ,
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  Speaker 1: its commitment to comply with applicable security protocols and reasonable
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  Speaker 1: confidentiality requirements, and its sole use of the material for
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  Speaker 1: New Mexico's criminal investigation and any subsequent criminal prosecution. By
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  Speaker 1: this point, over 100 days had elapsed since NMDOJ first
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  Speaker 1: sought access to these investigative files. Attorney General Torres followed
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  Speaker 1: up with letters to Mr. Blanche and Associate Deputy Attorney
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  Speaker 1: General Rachel Jagg on June 4th, 2026, and June 5th, 2026,
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  Speaker 1: requesting in-person meetings in D.C. USDOJ did not respond. On
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  Speaker 1: June 11th, 2026, First Assistant Ellison, Chief Deputy for DNM,
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  Speaker 1: called Sean Sullivan at NMDOJ to tell him that Maine
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  Speaker 1: Justice was working to prepare files for NMDOJ's TUI request
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  Speaker 1: and assure him of a forthcoming response. On June 12th,
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  Speaker 1: First Assistant Ellison made a public promise of cooperation with NMDOJ.
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  Speaker 1: In a statement, Ellison emphasized, Attorney General Torres wants cooperation,
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  Speaker 1: we want to cooperate, and I anticipate full cooperation. When
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  Speaker 1: NMDOJ still had no response by June 30, 2026, Attorney
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  Speaker 1: General Torres reiterated NMDOJ's tweet request in a certified letter
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  Speaker 1: to Mr. Blanch and Mr. Pastana. Attorney General Torres recounted
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  Speaker 1: NMDOJ's assistance to USDOJ in the federal investigation, its suspension
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  Speaker 1: of its own state investigation at USDOJ's request, and its
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  Speaker 1: request to be notified if the federal investigation revealed additional
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  Speaker 1: survivors of crimes occurring in New Mexico. Attorney General Torres
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  Speaker 1: emphasized New Mexico's intent to support and protect survivors through
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  Speaker 1: New Mexico's renewed criminal investigation and the critical role of
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  Speaker 1: records from the federal investigation. U.S. DOJ now holds in
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  Speaker 1: its possession the very records that would allow the NMDOJ
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  Speaker 1: to resume what federal intervention interrupted. Attorney General Torres asserted
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  Speaker 1: that if access to the database or production of all
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  Speaker 1: relevant documents and information previously redacted were not provided by
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  Speaker 1: July 31, 2026, NMDOJ would consider its request denied. On
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  Speaker 1: July 7, 2026, A spokesperson for USDOJ stated that USDOJ
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  Speaker 1: reiterates that it welcomes New Mexico's undertaking additional investigation of
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  Speaker 1: the Zorro Ranch and stands ready to provide necessary assistance
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  Speaker 1: with New Mexico's investigation. On July 14, 2026, over five
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  Speaker 1: months after NMDOJ first sought access to files related to
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  Speaker 1: the federal investigation of the crimes in New Mexico, Attorney
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  Speaker 1: General Torres again reiterated NMDOJ's TUI request in a certified
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  Speaker 1: letter to Acting Attorney General Blanche and electronically to Associate
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  Speaker 1: Deputy Attorney General Pestana. Mr. Torres reiterated that if NMDOJ
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  Speaker 1: did not receive access to these unredacted materials by July 31, 2026,
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  Speaker 1: NMDOJ will treat this request as denied and will pursue
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  Speaker 1: all legal remedies without further notice. Later that day, NMDOJ
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  Speaker 1: received a belated response from DNM to NMDOJ's March 3rd 3, 2026,
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  Speaker 1: to a request. Dated June 30, 2026, the DNM response
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  Speaker 1: stated that DNM neither collected nor retained any investigative materials,
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  Speaker 1: and its file consisted mostly of transmittal materials to SDNY,
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  Speaker 1: and materials collected from the public domain. The letter purported
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  Speaker 1: to produce or identify by reference to the Epstein Library
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  Speaker 1: those materials that were not subject to asserted privilege. The
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  Speaker 1: 31 pages accompanying the DNM response were limited to A.
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  Speaker 1: A list of 17 follow-up questions to ask if New
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  Speaker 1: Mexico was mentioned during a victim interview. At 10. B.
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  Speaker 1: A copy of public news articles from the Albuquerque Journal's website. C.
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  Speaker 1: A public press release from former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.
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  Speaker 1: Copies of correspondence between NMDOJ and USDOJ dating from May 14,
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  Speaker 1: 2019 to October 15, 2019 at 16-18. Redacted emails apparently
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  Speaker 1: sent and received within USDOJ regarding Governor Richardson's press release. F.
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  Speaker 1: Redacted emails apparently sent and received within USDOJ regarding an
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  Speaker 1: October 15, 2019 letter from then-Attorney General of New Mexico
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  Speaker 1: Hector Balderas. And G, redacted records from the U.S. Virgin
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  Speaker 1: Islands regarding the incorporation of Cyprus. All right, folks, we're
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  Speaker 1: going to wrap up right here. And in the next episode,
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  Speaker 1: we're going to pick up with DNM's letter stated three
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  Speaker 1: primary objections. All the information that goes with this episode
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  Speaker 1: can be found in the description box.