The state of New Mexico filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against the U.S. Department of Justice and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, accusing federal leadership of obstructing state authorities from investigating sex crimes associated with deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein. State prosecutors stated in court documents that they “faced sustained resistance” when seeking the type of routine information sharing that previously took place between state and federal law enforcement agencies. Although New Mexico originally paused a 2019 investigation at the behest of federal prosecutors, state investigators reopened the matter earlier this year to review unredacted case materials under federal transparency legislation. State officials argue that federal inaction severely hampers local efforts to evaluate alleged abuses and hold potential accomplices accountable. However, state officials maintain that without federal compliance and access to unredacted evidentiary files, critical leads and survivor testimonies risk degrading over time.