• Hillary accuses Trump of orchestrating ‘cover-up’
• Los Angeles mayor calls for 2028 Olympics chief to resign
• Hyatt boss steps down
SANTA FE: Lawmakers in the US state of New Mexico passed legislation on Monday to launch the “first full investigation” into what happened at Zorro Ranch, where the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is accused of trafficking and sexually assaulting girls and women.
A bipartisan committee will seek testimony from survivors of alleged sexual abuse at the ranch, located about 50 kilometres south of Santa Fe, the state capital. Legislators have urged local residents to testify.
Meanwhile, former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton accused President Trump of orchestrating a ‘cover-up’ over the Epstein files.
“Get the files out. They’re slow-walking it,” the former first lady said in an interview with the BBC.
In other developments, the mayor of Los Angeles called upon Casey Wasserman, the chief organiser of the 2028 Olympics committee, to resign after his name figured in the Epstein files.
Thomas Pritzker, the chairman of the Hyatt chain of hotels, said he had decided to leave his position after emails revealing his ties to Epstein came to light.
Truth commission
The “truth commission” named by New Mexico, comprising four lawmakers, seeks to identify ranch guests and state officials who may have known what was going on at the 7,600-acre property, or taken part in alleged sexual abuse in its hacienda-style mansion and guest houses.
The Democratic-led investigation adds to political pressure to uncover Epstein’s crimes that has become a major challenge for President Donald Trump, weeks after the Justice Department released millions of Epstein-related files that shed new light on activities at the ranch.
The files reveal ties between Epstein and two former Democratic governors and an attorney general of New Mexico.
The committee started its work on Tuesday, and will deliver interim findings in July.
“He was basically doing anything he wanted in this state without any accountability whatsoever,” said lawmaker Andrea Romero, a Democrat.Testimony to the committee could be used for future prosecutions, she said.
Victim advocates applauded the move, saying Zorro Ranch had been overlooked by federal investigations that focused on Epstein’s Caribbean island and New York townhouse.
“Many of the survivors had experiences in New Mexico, and as we’ve learned, you know, there were local politicians and other people that were aware of what was happening in New Mexico,” said attorney Sigrid McCawley, whose law firm has represented hundreds of Epstein survivors.
Hillary Clinton slams ‘cover-up’
“Get the files out. They are slow-walking it,” Clinton, who is due to testify before a Congressional committee on the issue next week, told the BBC in Berlin.
Former president Bill Clinton features regularly in the files, but no evidence has come to light implicating either of the two in criminal activity.
The couple has been ordered to give closed-door depositions before the House Oversight Committee, which is probing the deceased financier’s connections to powerful figures and how information about his crimes was handled.
