WASHINGTON, D.C. February 24, 2026 – U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) on Tuesday amplified a forceful demand for accountability in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, posting on X a video of New Mexico State Rep. Andrea Romero declaring: “It’s time to turn the Epstein files into the Epstein trials.”
Romero, chair of the newly formed New Mexico Epstein Truth Commission, made the statement as she and multiple Epstein survivors attended events tied to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address in Washington. Romero is Stansbury’s official guest for the occasion.
The timing aligns with a surge in state and federal efforts to deliver justice for victims of the late convicted sex offender. On February 16, the New Mexico House unanimously approved the creation of a bipartisan “Truth Commission” – an investigatory subcommittee tasked with examining allegations of sex trafficking and abuse at Epstein’s sprawling Zorro Ranch in Santa Fe County.
The four-member panel, chaired by Romero (D-Santa Fe) and including Reps. Marianna Anaya (D-Albuquerque), Andrea Reeb (R), and William Hall (R), has subpoena power, access to public records, and the ability to hear testimony. It is funded in part by settlement resources and expected to deliver a comprehensive report by the end of 2026.
“New Mexicans deserve to know the truth about what went on at the Zorro Ranch and who knew about it,” Romero said after the unanimous vote. “With this Truth Commission, we can finally fill in the gaps by investigating the failures that led to the horrific allegations of abuse and crime at Zorro Ranch, so we can learn from them and prevent such atrocities from taking place in our state going forward.”
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has separately reopened a state criminal probe into the ranch following fresh revelations in recently unsealed federal Epstein files.
Stansbury, who serves on the House Oversight Committee, has viewed unredacted portions of the Epstein files and repeatedly pledged to “name names” of prominent individuals linked to the case. She has accused the administration of withholding information and failing to fully comply with congressional mandates for transparency.
The New Mexico initiative adds a powerful local dimension to the national reckoning over Epstein’s network. Survivors attending this week’s events in Washington say their presence is intended to ensure victims’ voices are heard at the highest levels and to press for prosecutions based on the documented evidence.
Stansbury’s X post, which quickly drew thousands of views and engagements, underscores the growing bipartisan and cross-level push: documents alone are no longer enough — it is time for trials.
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