Full Breakdown
DOJ Social-Media Slip Fuels New Mexico Fight Over Epstein Files
7/12/2026, 8:13:21 AM
Social-Media Typo Sparks Accusations
A brief exchange on X (formerly Twitter) gave the impression that the Justice Department was confirming that the Trump administration was hindering the “only active criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.” Journalist-lawyer Aaron Parnas posted, “The Trump Administration is impeding the only active criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.” DOJ Rapid Response replied with the two-word response, “We are.” The reply was quickly linked to a fact-check asserting that claims of DOJ non-cooperation were “demonstrably false,” but the typo drew widespread ridicule and renewed scrutiny of the department’s handling of Epstein-related records.
Background: Epstein Files Transparency Act and Zorro Ranch Investigation
Congress enacted the Epstein Files Transparency Act in 2024, and President Donald Trump signed it into law on Nov. 19, 2025. The law obligates the DOJ to release all unclassified records, investigative materials, communications, and flight logs tied to the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein and associate Ghislaine Maxwell. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has alleged that the DOJ is withholding unredacted files concerning Epstein’s “Zorro Ranch” near Santa Fe, a site alleged to have housed trafficked women and girls. Torrez’s June 30 letter warned that delays erode the foundation for a state prosecution, noting that 130 days have passed since his office’s initial request. Earlier this year, New Mexico reopened its own probe after newly released documents referenced an email alleging that “somewhere in the hills outside the Zorro, two foreign girls were buried on orders of Jeffrey and Madam G.”
Official Statements & Responses
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche has asserted that his office is “doing everything to cooperate on providing access to the Epstein files.” A DOJ spokesperson told CNN that the agency “substantively” responded to New Mexico’s demands last month and “welcomes New Mexico undertaking additional investigation of the Zorro Ranch and stands ready to provide necessary assistance.”
Criticism & Opposition
Attorney General Torrez contended that the DOJ’s withholding “every day… erodes” the basis for prosecution and that “witnesses relocate and become unreachable.” Critics on X, such as user Candid Candor, argued that the “We are” reply either confirmed the accusation or, at best, failed to address the five-month lapse in cooperation.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The Trump Administration is impeding the only active criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.” — Aaron Parnas, journalist-lawyer
- “We are.” — DOJ Rapid Response (X reply)
- “If your ‘we are’ means you’re talking about it, it’s been 5 months since the N.M. attorney general requested the files and they’ve received no cooperation or files,” — Candid Candor, X user
- “Every day that the USDOJ withholds these records, the foundation upon which a New Mexico prosecution could be built erodes,” — Raúl Torrez, New Mexico Attorney General
- “The DOJ reiterates that it welcomes New Mexico undertaking additional investigation of the Zorro Ranch and stands ready to provide necessary assistance with New Mexico’s investigation,” — DOJ spokesperson
- “somewhere in the hills outside the Zorro, two foreign girls were buried on orders of Jeffrey and Madam G,” — newly released Epstein document excerpt
