By Joshua Bowling, Source New Mexico — New Mexico’s “truth commission” charged with investigating Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes in the state, on Monday announced it would issue 14 subpoenas to government agencies, banks and the Santa Fe Institute to investigate who at those agencies and companies was in contact with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
The state Legislature earlier this year created the bipartisan House investigatory subcommittee and gave it a $2 million budget, which came from settlement funds with Epstein’s banks. The commission is working to gather the stories of Epstein’s survivors and is vetting information — gathered by solicited tips and through subpoenas — to potentially refer to the New Mexico Department of Justice for prosecution.
“The abuses that occurred here in New Mexico went ignored here for over 20 years,” Rep. Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe), who chairs the commission, said at the Monday meeting. “We are focused on a thorough investigation, not one of expedience for the sake of news cycles…we are here and we will not look away.”
The commission plans to release an initial report on its findings in July and a full investigative report around the end of the year.
The commission is made up of Romero, Rep. William “Bill” Hall (R-Aztec), a former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent; Rep. Andrea Reeb (R-Clovis), an attorney who has prosecuted crimes against children; and Rep. Marianna Anaya (D-Albuquerque), a former deputy director for the progressive organization ProgressNow New Mexico and an advocate for abuse survivors.
Together, they announced that they would issue 14 subpoenas to Epstein’s estate; the FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Deutsche Bank, J.P. Morgan Chase, the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, the New Mexico Department of Justice, the New Mexico governor’s office, the New Mexico State Land Commissioner, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department and the Santa Fe Institute.
Once they’re issued, the subpoenas will be available on the commission’s new website, NMTruthCommission.com, Romero said.
The subpoena for the Santa Fe Institute, in particular, seeks information about donations Epstein made; which research he funded; and whether he was in contact with anyone there.
In addition to the sex crimes that occurred at Zorro Ranch, Hall said the commission is also investigating financial crimes and institutional failures that enabled his abuse to fly under the radar in New Mexico.
Survivors of Epstein’s abuse and their family members spoke at Monday’s hearing to thank the four lawmakers for taking them seriously — and to caution them to be sensitive when they interview survivors.
“In 2019, when Jeffrey Epstein was arrested, I spoke out about the sexual abuse and crimes he committed against me. I am here again today in 2026 as a 52-year-old woman speaking out, trying to find truth and justice — and still no answers,” Rachel Benavidez, who has accused Epstein of abusing her at Zorro Ranch, told the commission.
She told them she is re-traumatized each time she has to get in front of a legislative body or television camera and recount the abuse.
“I am more than a salacious story,” Benavidez said.
Source New Mexico is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Source New Mexico maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Julia Goldberg for questions: info@sourcenm.com.