Rep. James Comer, chair of the House Oversight Committee, has claimed that the Department of Justice intervened to block a state investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s New Mexico ranch in 2019.
The Kentucky Republican appeared on Jesse Watters’ Fox News show Tuesday, a day after a new search of the property was commenced, when he made the claim about the failings of the authorities to catch up with Epstein during President Donald Trump’s first term, when then-attorney general Bill Barr was leading the DOJ.
“The federal government asked New Mexico to stop their investigation, I believe, back in 2019 of that ranch,” said the congressman.
“So there’s just so many questions about how the government failed the victims and how government failed in trying to prosecute Epstein sooner. I mean, this whole thing doesn’t make sense.
“Everyone has conspiracy theories on how Epstein was able to get away with it. Was it because he had powerful friends? Was it because he was an agent? We don’t know, but we’re gonna find out and I’m glad that they’re on the ground now in New Mexico searching that property.”
Responding to the revelation, Watters asked: “Congressman, you said in 2019 the government told New Mexico authorities to stand down in investigating the ranch – do you know what branch of the government?”
Comer replied: “It was the Department of Justice, I believe. And I believe it… perhaps was the Southern District of New York because they had taken over the investigation at that point. So, again these are questions that we have. We want to get the answers.”
The Independent has contacted Rep. Comer, the DOJ and the White House for further comment.
State investigators began their new search of the 26,700 square foot hilltop mansion in Santa Fe County that was once owned by Epstein on Monday.
The ranch was acquired in 2023 by Don Huffines, a businessman and self-declared “MAGA Trump Republican” running to be Texas comptroller, who changed its name from the Zorro Ranch to the San Rafael Ranch.
State Attorney General Raul Torrez’s office said the search was being carried out with the cooperation of the new owners and that it had been commenced after New Mexico prosecutors concluded that “revelations outlined in the previously sealed FBI files warrant further examination.”
The Santa Fe New Mexican reported Tuesday that Sandoval County Fire and Rescue personnel were helping to survey the site.
Yesterday, California Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia gave an update on the ongoing Epstein scandal, saying that the DOJ had still only released “half” of its files pertaining to Epstein – approximately 3.5 million of its 6 million total, by its own count.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has said that is all his department considers safe to release without compromising innocent people or interfering with ongoing investigations.
“We strongly believe that this continues to be a massive White House cover-up that goes all the way to the top of government,” Garcia said at his press conference, calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to release the files in their entirety.
Bondi has been subpoenaed to appear before Comer’s committee to address the situation amid widespread happiness among the survivors of Epstein’s abuse about instances of their names going unredacted in the released files, while those of some of the billionaire’s wealthy associates were kept concealed.
Garcia also pointed to upcoming testimony from Epstein’s personal lawyer Darren Indyke and accountant Richard Kahn as well as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who has denied wrongdoing over his past association with the disgraced financier, as evidence of progress in the case.
Speaking to Lawrence O’Donnell on MS NOW Monday, another committee Democrat, California Rep. Ro Khanna, pledged the fight for answers would continue.
“It continues because it’s personal, because these survivors have sat in my office, they’ve sat in [Kentucky Republican Rep.] Thomas Massie’s office… They were abused, they were raped, and they want justice,” Khanna said.
“And the half of the files that are out proves to the country that what we were talking about was not a hoax, that some of the most powerful people were involved. And the worst stuff is still in these files, the names of some of these people.”
