New Mexico just greenlit a $2.5 million “truth commission” on Epstein’s ranch — and survivors say it’s long overdue

New Mexico lawmakers have unanimously approved a $2.5 million investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch, launching what officials described as the first full probe into alleged sex offenses tied to the late financier’s New Mexico property. The effort creates a bipartisan “truth commission” made up of four state legislators who plan to take testimony from survivors and local residents and examine who may have participated in, enabled, or looked away from trafficking and abuse linked to the 7,600-acre ranch near Santa Fe.

The move is drawing intense attention because Zorro Ranch has been a dark blank spot in the public record compared with Epstein’s properties in New York and the Caribbean. Survivors and advocates have long argued that what happened in New Mexico was never fully aired out — not in court, not in a comprehensive state investigation, and not in a way that forced accountability for anyone who may have been involved. Reuters reported that supporters of the commission see it as a chance to identify gaps in state law that may have allowed Epstein to operate and to clarify who knew what and when.

According to Reuters, the commission’s scope includes seeking testimony about ranch guests and state officials who may have known what was happening at the property or taken part in alleged abuse. While the commission itself is not a criminal court, Reuters reported testimony could lead to future prosecutions, and accompanying legislation may extend the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse — a detail that’s fueling speculation about whether the investigation could create new legal paths in cases once considered too old to prosecute.

The vote also comes amid renewed scrutiny of Epstein-related files and allegations that touch public figures. The ranch investigation follows releases of documents that linked Epstein to two former Democratic governors and a former attorney general of New Mexico, and noted that former Gov. Bill Richardson has denied accusations tied to him. That context is part of why the story is blowing up: the commission isn’t just about Epstein. It’s about whether an entire social and political ecosystem quietly accommodated him.

Zorro Ranch itself has long carried a grim reputation in New Mexico. Epstein bought the property in 1993, and the investigation aims to examine what occurred there and why it was not fully addressed in earlier federal efforts. The commission is expected to hear from survivors and local residents — a choice that signals lawmakers are trying to build a fuller timeline than what’s available through scattered court filings and secondhand accounts.

For survivors, the commission is being framed as overdue recognition that the New Mexico allegations weren’t a side chapter. For lawmakers, it’s also a test of how a state investigates a powerful network without turning the process into a partisan circus. If the hearings produce credible testimony and new evidence, the pressure will likely rise for prosecutors to take another look — and for New Mexico to change laws that advocates say still leave victims waiting too long for justice.