By Kevin Hendricks
The Survivors’ Truth Commission — formally the House Special Investigatory Committee — meets Wednesday, Aug. 5, at 1 p.m. in State Capitol Room 307 to present an interim report and walk through its mission investigating Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch near Stanley.
The revised Aug. 3 agenda calls for member introductions, an overview of committee activities, the interim report presentation, survivor testimony and a discussion of future committee actions before adjournment. The meeting will also stream live via Zoom.
A separate push from New Mexico Senate Republicans to subpoena gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland and U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury does not appear by name on Wednesday’s agenda. Read the full story on the subpoena request.
About the commission
The New Mexico House created the committee by unanimous vote in February to investigate Epstein’s activities at Zorro Ranch, which he owned for 26 years, and to determine why alleged abuse there went unaddressed for decades. House Speaker Javier Martínez appointed four members: Chair Andrea Romero and Marianna Anaya, both Santa Fe-area Democrats, alongside Republicans Andrea Reeb, a former district attorney, and Bill Hall, a retired FBI agent. The panel carries subpoena power, a roughly $2 million budget and coordinates its findings with the state Department of Justice. Its stated purpose is determining whether state law needs to change to better protect children, secure civil justice, and hold public officials accountable for misconduct connected to the case.
Epstein bought the property from former Gov. Bruce King in 1993 and built it into a compound with an airstrip and guesthouses. Multiple accusers have alleged they were abused or trafficked there over the years, and Epstein was never required to register as a sex offender in New Mexico after his 2008 Florida plea. He died in federal custody in 2019; the property sold to an undisclosed buyer in 2023. Commission organizers say New Mexico’s role in failing to catch the alleged abuse, and what legal gaps let Epstein operate largely unchecked in the state for more than two decades, are the central questions driving the inquiry.
The commission’s investigative window runs into 2027, with recommendations for legislation expected afterward.
Attend or follow the meeting:
- What: Truth Commission meeting — interim report and mission overview
- When: Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, 1 p.m. MDT
- Where: State Capitol, Room 307, Santa Fe
- Watch live: Zoom Webinar (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88271745882#success)
- Committee contact: (505) 986-4600 or Randall Cherry, Randall.Cherry@nmlegis.gov
- Full committee page: nmlegis.gov, House Special Investigatory Committee
- Accessibility requests: Robin Garrison, (505) 986-4685, ada.assist@nmlegis.gov