New Mexico lawsuit seeks court order to compel DOJ release of unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files tied to Zorro Ranch

New Mexico has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice seeking to compel the federal government to provide unredacted files connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and tied to “Zorro Ranch,” a report said.

The complaint, filed in federal court, asks for a court order directing DOJ to produce records without redactions, according to The Washington Times. The report frames the request around records the state says remain undisclosed in a form that it believes is improper.

Epstein, who was convicted of sex trafficking-related offenses, remains central to multiple investigations and records requests. The New Mexico filing focuses specifically on whether DOJ possesses relevant materials and whether the government can withhold them in unredacted form, the report said.

The lawsuit comes at a time when state and federal governments have increasingly turned to litigation to obtain records from federal agencies. In this case, New Mexico’s suit is aimed at enforcing disclosure obligations that the state contends apply to the Justice Department, the report said.

A central issue in the litigation, as described by the outlet, is the extent to which DOJ has withheld portions of files. The complaint seeks unredacted production, indicating that New Mexico is disputing the adequacy of the government’s redactions or the legal basis for maintaining them.

DOJ’s position on the request was not provided in the available reporting, and an official DOJ filing or order confirming details of the case was not identified in the materials supplied for this write-up. As a result, the timing of any hearings, the jurisdictional posture, and the precise legal claims asserted by New Mexico are not confirmed here beyond what the report states.

The case is expected to proceed through federal court review, where DOJ would typically respond to the complaint and the court would determine whether the state is entitled to unredacted materials and what, if any, parts may remain withheld.