A former U.S. attorney for New Mexico says he had no knowledge of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes before reading about them in the news, and had only a passing tie to Epstein as an attorney in 1993.
John J. Kelly, U.S. attorney from 1993 to 2000, has faced accusations over the last month he failed to prosecute allegations against Epstein because of their relationship.
New Mexico writer Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, who has over 48,000 subscribers on Substack, has reported Kelly “ignored allegations of criminal wrongdoing by Epstein and others in New Mexico entirely.” Kelly “did nothing at all” in response to a 1996 FBI report filed against Epstein, she wrote.
But there is no public evidence Kelly knew about any of the allegations against financier Epstein in the 1990s, including the FBI report. The woman who filed the report, Maria Farmer, has said the FBI hung up on her and she didn’t hear back until 10 years later, when Epstein was being investigated in Florida. It’s unclear whether the FBI investigated her report, let alone whether the report made its way to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Mexico.
Zorro Ranch, which formerly belonged to Jeffrey Epstein, is shown. A former U.S. attorney is accused of failing to prosecute allegations against Epstein because of their relationship.
In a written statement toThe New Mexican,Kelly, now 78, said he had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes while serving as the state’s top prosecutor.
“The information that has since come to light regarding Mr. Epstein’s criminal conduct is deeply disturbing. I had absolutely no knowledge of such conduct until it was reported in the press, decades later. I dedicated many years of my personal and professional life to public service and upholding the rule of law, and any insinuation that I did, or would have, condoned Mr. Epstein’s criminal conduct, is categorically false,” Kelly said.
Epstein owned a sprawling ranch in southern Santa Fe County from 1993 to his death in 2019 as he was awaiting trial on federal charges of sex trafficking.
Kelly did sign paperwork on Epstein’s behalf, with limited power of attorney, to finalize the sale of Zorro Ranch near Stanley in early 1993, before he was appointed U.S. attorney, which has been cited as evidence of their close relationship. He also appeared in Epstein’s black book, whichThe New Mexicanreported in 2019.
Kelly said any contact with Epstein was limited to signing real estate paperwork for him in early 1993, which he said he did as a favor to the sellers. Epstein bought the ranch from the family of former Gov. Bruce King.
“In 1993, I was asked by the King family, with whom I was well acquainted, if I would assist with a real estate transaction between an out-of-state buyer and the King family with respect to one of the King family properties. That out-of-state buyer turned out to be Jeffrey Epstein,” Kelly wrote.
“I assisted with the transaction, as an attorney, at the King family’s request. I do not specifically recall any direct interactions with Mr. Epstein in connection with that transaction, and I do not recall ever encountering him again after that time,” Kelly added.
