SANTA FE, New Mexico — The proposal to create a “truth commission” to conduct a broad review of what the government knew or did in relation to possible crimes tied to Jeffrey Epstein’s Santa Fe County ranch is moving forward in the New Mexico Legislature.
Some lawmakers, however, raised concerns about its effectiveness and possible political implications.
Commission, a bipartisan body
House Joint Resolution 1 advanced to the House floor after the House Judiciary Committe gave its go signal to the proposal on Saturday. The House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee had earlier cleared the measure.
The resolution seeks to establish a bipartisan fact-finding body with the task of reviewing what state officials knew — or failed to act on — about the activities at Epstein’s Zorro Ranch near Stanley.
Lawmakers who back the proposal say the goal is not to litigate individual criminal allegations but to come up of an accurate public record.
“This is about getting the story straight,” said Rep. Andrea Romero, D-Sta. Fe, one of the sponsors of the measure.
Not into criminal investigation
Romero said the proposed commission is not a criminal investigation body looking into allegations of sex trafficking or abuse. It will function instead as a broad review of what the government had done or failed to do regarding Epstein’s presence in New Mexico.
Epstein was a wealthy financier with close ties to powerful political figures and has extensive social connections. He died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019, before a federal trial on sex trafficking charges began.
Several court filings as well as media reports mentioned his ranch in Sta. Fe, New Mexico as a place where allegations of sexual abuse happened.
The proponents of the measure argue that a truth commission could help clarify to the public what the law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and other public institutions had done or failed to do.
The fact-finding process may result to policy recommendations preventing similar failures, if there is any, in the future.
Critics raise concerns
Critics, however, have raised concerns, saying the truth commission may fail to deliver on its tasks without the necessary subpoena power or a clear mandate.
Rep. Stefani Lord, R-Sandia Park, expressed her apprehension of the commission becoming political tool. She sought clarification if the fact-finding body will also be willing to act against Democrats who might be implicated.
Once the House approves the resolution, it will move to the Senate for consideration.