The Texas businessman who purchased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s New Mexico ranch said he plans to turn the property into a Christian retreat.
“We bought it to bring light to darkness,” Don Huffines, a Republican running for Texas comptroller, said in an interview with radio host Dana Loesch. He said there was nothing unusual about his purchase, noting he bought the property several years after Epstein’s death and before it went to auction.
Zorro Ranch has long been shrouded in secrecy, with allegations of criminal activity tied to the property.
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New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard recently told Scripps News that she requested an investigation into public land surrounding the ranch after learning about a 2019 email included in newly released Epstein-related documents. The email, sent to a conservative radio host, claimed two girls were buried on public land leased near the ranch. The act was allegedly carried out at the direction of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for sex trafficking.
Asked about the allegation, Huffines said he assumed any investigation had been completed before the sale and would cooperate if authorities pursue additional leads.
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"No one's ever asked, no law enforcement agency's ever asked to come on the property for any reason, and I'll be happy to cooperate," he said.
Huffines said he renamed the property San Rafael Ranch after St. Raphael, considered the patron saint of travelers in Christian tradition.
"We're in the process of converting the ranch to a Christian retreat where people can come and be closer to Jesus," he said.
