DOJ says it cannot provide unredacted Epstein files for New Mexico inquiry

The U.S. Department of Justice said on Wednesday it was prohibited by law from releasing unredacted files on Jeffrey Epstein requested by New Mexico, escalating a feud with state officials investigating the late sex offender.

New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez released a letter on Tuesday accusing the DOJ of deliberately obstructing the state’s criminal probe of Epstein by failing to hand over the files.

“Federal law, court orders, and privacy protections for victims and witnesses do not allow us to release millions of unredacted documents,” a U.S. Justice Department spokesperson said in a statement. “We will continue to follow federal law and the court orders that are in place.”

In February, the Democratic-run state reopened an investigation into activities at Epstein’s former ranch, south of the capital Santa Fe, where he is accused of abusing women and girls for nearly three decades.

In response to the state’s request that month for unredacted files, Torrez said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for New Mexico on July 10 provided 31 pages of documents that had already been made public, contained redacted material that was unusable or were photocopies of local news stories.

New Mexico’s Justice Department on Wednesday responded to its federal counterpart’s claim that it could not release unredacted documents by saying federal prosecutors routinely sought to modify protective orders so they could provide material to state law enforcement for criminal investigations.

“That’s what real cooperation means,” New Mexico DOJ spokesperson Lauren Rodriguez said in a statement.

Pressure from Epstein survivors and their advocates for the federal government to release the Epstein files in their entirety has dogged President Donald Trump, who has said the country should move on.

New Mexico’s state legislature is also running an Epstein investigation and last month subpoenaed U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in three states and the U.S. Virgin Islands for information on whether they investigated the late financier and chose not to press charges.

The legislature’s Truth Commission is expected to release an interim report this month. Torrez has yet to announce any findings. 

Goldman counsel says she would have reported Epstein if she knew of abuse

Goldman Sachs senior counsel Kathryn Ruemmler told members of Congress in a closed-door hearing on Wednesday that if she had known Epstein was abusing women or girls, she would have reported him to law enforcement.

Ruemmler stepped down as Goldman’s chief legal officer and general counsel at the end of June, pending a replacement, after documents published by the Justice Department showed she had extensive communications with Epstein and had also accepted gifts from him.

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing is part of its investigation into Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. It has pushed Goldman back into the spotlight over its decision to keep Ruemmler, despite her links to the convicted sex offender.

“First, I did not see any evidence of ongoing criminal conduct or misconduct of any kind by Epstein during the time I dealt with him,” she said in her opening statement, which she released publicly.

“Second, if I had seen or heard any evidence suggesting that he was abusing women or girls, I would have immediately reported him to law enforcement.”

She agreed to continue in an advisory role as senior counsel until the company appointed a new chief legal officer, Goldman CEO David Solomon said in June, a decision that has been criticized by some lawmakers. 

Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is on the House panel, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren sent a second letter to Solomon and Ruemmler raising concerns regarding her continued employment with Goldman. 

Several hours into her private testimony, Democrats on the committee told reporters they believed she was not being completely forthright, and noted that she was not giving answers under oath.

“It is difficult to see how she is being completely truthful in there with the answers she’s giving the committee,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, the senior Democrat on the panel. “She’s unwilling to take any responsibility for her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.”

Goldman Sachs declined to comment. 

Epstein, who died in a Manhattan prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, had extensive ties to many prominent people in politics, finance, academia and business, including Trump. His death was ruled a suicide.

“Although Epstein was never my client, I got to know him when he referred a financial institution client to me for which he was a primary advisor,” Ruemmler said on Wednesday.

“If I knew then what I know now about who Epstein really was, I never would have accepted an initial meeting with him. It was a mistake to deal with him, and I regret it,” she added.

Ruemmler called the late sex offender “a masterful liar,” saying she could see how he used people to boost his own standing.

She said her communication with Epstein ended in July 2019 after he was indicted for sex trafficking minors.

Ruemmler, who worked at Latham & Watkins LLP before joining Goldman, also previously served in the White House as counsel to President Barack Obama. 

The oversight panel has interviewed political leaders such as former President Bill Clinton, current Commerce Secretary and former Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published July 15, 2026 at 7:47 PM.