• Updated

The state of New Mexico has sued the Department of Justice and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, saying the federal government has blocked it from carrying out its own investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's sex crimes. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. The lawsuit said the Justice Department and Blanche had actively harmed victims and undermined public interest by withholding information from state investigators. It said New Mexico was one of the few jurisdictions that could still bring criminal charges related to Epstein's crimes. The Justice Department said it was withholding some information from New Mexico to protect victims' privacy and conform with court rulings about evidence.