Filing by attorney general Raúl Torrez comes after DoJ appears to have ignored deadline for key Epstein ranch files
New Mexico filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Justice and acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, on Wednesday for “stonewalling” its criminal investigation into the activities of the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein at a remote ranch in the state.
Raúl Torrez, the New Mexico attorney general, had said he was mulling the possibility of legal action if the justice department did not share with him by 31 July information about the alleged historical abuse of girls and young women at Epstein’s Zorro ranch about 30 miles south of Santa Fe.
Wednesday’s filing, seen by the Guardian, delivers on that threat after the justice department appeared to ignore last Friday’s deadline.
I genuinely hope this cracks some things open - and I think has a chance to.
It won’t. The current administration will just ignore it. Anyone suing the federal government should instead name people individually and detail their personal crimes. They should ignore any vicarious liability and go after individuals. Trump will likely throw them under the bus. Nail them to the wall or get info out of them to nail bigger fish.
The orangeboi cannot (currently, at least) issue pardons for state crimes and investigations, which this is.
This lawsuit will determine whether the federal government can simply stonewall a state government in a criminal investigation.
