WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:03.120
<v Speaker 1>What's up, everyone, and welcome to another episode of the

2
00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:06.519
<v Speaker 1>Epstein Chronicles. In this episode, we're getting right back to

3
00:00:06.599 --> 00:00:12.919
<v Speaker 1>the New Mexico interim report on Jeffrey Epstein. Attorney General

4
00:00:13.000 --> 00:00:19.079
<v Speaker 1>Baldaris deferred sex trafficking investigation to SDNY. Hector Baldaris was

5
00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:23.079
<v Speaker 1>Attorney General of New Mexico between January first, twenty fifteen

6
00:00:23.399 --> 00:00:28.920
<v Speaker 1>and January first, twenty twenty three. On September eighth, twenty nineteen,

7
00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:33.439
<v Speaker 1>SDNY emailed the District of New Mexico describing their understanding

8
00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:36.799
<v Speaker 1>with the New Mexico Attorney General. We spoke with the

9
00:00:36.840 --> 00:00:41.520
<v Speaker 1>New Mexico AG's office back in July twenty nineteen. In essence,

10
00:00:41.560 --> 00:00:45.320
<v Speaker 1>they agreed to cease any investigation into sex trafficking and

11
00:00:45.399 --> 00:00:49.000
<v Speaker 1>share whatever they had gathered to date regarding sex trafficking

12
00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:52.640
<v Speaker 1>activity with our office. We agreed that they were free

13
00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:56.079
<v Speaker 1>to proceed with whatever other investigation on related to sex

14
00:00:56.119 --> 00:00:59.840
<v Speaker 1>trafficking they may have concerning Epstein, and told them that

15
00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:03.399
<v Speaker 1>at the conclusion of our case, we'd pass along any

16
00:01:03.399 --> 00:01:07.280
<v Speaker 1>information we may have gathered about state crimes that were

17
00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:11.680
<v Speaker 1>committed in their jurisdiction. We have not communicated with anyone

18
00:01:11.959 --> 00:01:15.319
<v Speaker 1>from the New Mexico AG's office since that conversation in

19
00:01:15.400 --> 00:01:20.239
<v Speaker 1>July of twenty nineteen. References to Alison and Maureen elsewhere

20
00:01:20.239 --> 00:01:23.799
<v Speaker 1>in the email chain likely mean assisting US attorneys Alison

21
00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:27.400
<v Speaker 1>Moe and Maureen Comy, publicly known to have handled the

22
00:01:27.400 --> 00:01:32.000
<v Speaker 1>Epstein case at SDNY. Comy was fired by the Department

23
00:01:32.040 --> 00:01:36.760
<v Speaker 1>of Justice in July of twenty twenty five. Deputy Attorney

24
00:01:36.840 --> 00:01:41.439
<v Speaker 1>General Clara Moran wrote SDNY on September seventeenth, twenty nineteen,

25
00:01:42.040 --> 00:01:45.879
<v Speaker 1>pursuant to our telephone conversation, this office is providing the

26
00:01:45.959 --> 00:01:50.599
<v Speaker 1>enclosed material related to the criminal investigation and potential prosecution

27
00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:55.920
<v Speaker 1>of Jeffrey Epstein's co conspirators. She described the enclosed material,

28
00:01:56.079 --> 00:02:01.640
<v Speaker 1>which included police reports, recorded witness interviews, correspondents amongst New

29
00:02:01.680 --> 00:02:06.120
<v Speaker 1>Mexico state agencies, and documents related to Epstein's leasing of

30
00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:10.759
<v Speaker 1>New Mexico public lands. Moron further stated that all conduct

31
00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:14.280
<v Speaker 1>described in our investigation occurred prior to two thousand and eight,

32
00:02:14.879 --> 00:02:19.120
<v Speaker 1>the year New Mexico enacted it's human trafficking statute. She

33
00:02:19.199 --> 00:02:22.680
<v Speaker 1>asked the SDN why contact her directly if it learned

34
00:02:22.840 --> 00:02:26.080
<v Speaker 1>of any other criminal charges implicating New Mexico law not

35
00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:30.360
<v Speaker 1>barred by New Mexico's statute of limitations. Finally, she stated

36
00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:34.879
<v Speaker 1>that if further investigations reveal additional survivors of crimes occurring

37
00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:38.599
<v Speaker 1>in New Mexico, know that this office intends to work

38
00:02:38.639 --> 00:02:41.759
<v Speaker 1>in union with the United States Attorney for the District

39
00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:44.680
<v Speaker 1>of New Mexico to ensure that these brave survivors have

40
00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:47.639
<v Speaker 1>the opportunity to see the justice is achieved in a

41
00:02:47.680 --> 00:02:51.319
<v Speaker 1>court of law. She asked to be contacted if sdnwy's

42
00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:55.560
<v Speaker 1>investigation reveals survivors of crimes occurring in New Mexico not

43
00:02:55.719 --> 00:03:01.560
<v Speaker 1>mentioned in the provided investigative materials. General Hector Balderis wrote

44
00:03:01.599 --> 00:03:05.800
<v Speaker 1>John Anderson on October fifteen, twenty nineteen. He pointed out

45
00:03:05.800 --> 00:03:10.120
<v Speaker 1>that his office has been actively investigating and assisting other

46
00:03:10.199 --> 00:03:14.360
<v Speaker 1>state and federal agencies with their investigations related to criminality

47
00:03:14.479 --> 00:03:19.319
<v Speaker 1>perpetrated in New Mexico by Jeffrey Epstein. He advised that

48
00:03:19.400 --> 00:03:22.719
<v Speaker 1>they have been in communication with the Assistant United States

49
00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:26.240
<v Speaker 1>Attorney for the Southern District of New York and have

50
00:03:26.360 --> 00:03:30.520
<v Speaker 1>provided them with materials supportive of their federal investigation and

51
00:03:30.599 --> 00:03:35.319
<v Speaker 1>allegations of misconduct by Epstein's possible co conspirators. He also

52
00:03:35.400 --> 00:03:38.719
<v Speaker 1>requested that the U S Attorney's Office explore initiating the

53
00:03:38.719 --> 00:03:43.360
<v Speaker 1>process to seaze Epstein's New Mexico landholdings for the eventual

54
00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:47.039
<v Speaker 1>benefit of survivors of these acts and the people of

55
00:03:47.080 --> 00:03:50.919
<v Speaker 1>the state of New Mexico. In a letter dated July eight,

56
00:03:51.080 --> 00:03:55.400
<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty, the USAO and m clara Moron advised that

57
00:03:55.479 --> 00:03:59.840
<v Speaker 1>the Attorney General's Office has provided investigative evidence regarding JEFFREYE.

58
00:03:59.879 --> 00:04:03.840
<v Speaker 1>Sap Epstein's use of Zoro Ranch to assist federal prosecutors.

59
00:04:04.360 --> 00:04:07.159
<v Speaker 1>She went on to a request that any interest belonging

60
00:04:07.159 --> 00:04:10.719
<v Speaker 1>to Epstein's estate or co conspirators be seized by federal

61
00:04:10.759 --> 00:04:14.240
<v Speaker 1>authorities in the belief that this ranch was used by

62
00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:18.399
<v Speaker 1>Epstein and others to facilitate the commission and prolonged concealment

63
00:04:18.680 --> 00:04:22.160
<v Speaker 1>of his trafficking of children, such that seizure may be

64
00:04:22.199 --> 00:04:26.319
<v Speaker 1>pursued in conjunction with the pending criminal prosecution of Epstein's

65
00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:30.959
<v Speaker 1>associates and co conspirators. She concluded her message by offering

66
00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:35.600
<v Speaker 1>assistants in the effort. Former Attorney General baldaras Is stated

67
00:04:35.959 --> 00:04:42.040
<v Speaker 1>that New Mexico provided SDNY with police reports, recorded witness testimony, correspondence,

68
00:04:42.040 --> 00:04:46.360
<v Speaker 1>and documents related to Epstein's land leases, and received nothing

69
00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:50.240
<v Speaker 1>in return. He described the arrangement as a one way relationship.

70
00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:56.240
<v Speaker 1>Attorney General Torres twenty twenty six investigation of Epstein currently

71
00:04:56.279 --> 00:05:00.720
<v Speaker 1>in progress. Roald Torres currently serves as atturn General of

72
00:05:00.759 --> 00:05:03.600
<v Speaker 1>New Mexico and has served in that capacity for over

73
00:05:03.639 --> 00:05:07.800
<v Speaker 1>three years since January first of twenty twenty three. On

74
00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:12.720
<v Speaker 1>February nineteenth, twenty twenty six, Torres formerly reopened the criminal

75
00:05:12.759 --> 00:05:18.040
<v Speaker 1>investigation into Zoro Ranch. The NMDJ statement read. Although the

76
00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:21.879
<v Speaker 1>State of New Mexico's prior investigation was closed in twenty

77
00:05:21.959 --> 00:05:25.120
<v Speaker 1>nineteen at the request of the U. S. Attorney's Office

78
00:05:25.279 --> 00:05:28.680
<v Speaker 1>for the Southern District of New York, revelations outlined in

79
00:05:28.720 --> 00:05:34.040
<v Speaker 1>the previously sealed FBI files weren't further explanation. On March

80
00:05:34.120 --> 00:05:38.079
<v Speaker 1>ninth and tenth, twenty twenty six, NMDJ conducted the first

81
00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:42.120
<v Speaker 1>known full property search Azoro Ranch, assisted by New Mexico

82
00:05:42.199 --> 00:05:47.360
<v Speaker 1>State Police and Sandoval County K nine teams. FBI agents

83
00:05:47.399 --> 00:05:50.519
<v Speaker 1>interviewed ranch manager Bryce Gordon on site in two thousand

84
00:05:50.519 --> 00:05:53.879
<v Speaker 1>and seven, but no property search was conducted at that time,

85
00:05:54.519 --> 00:05:58.879
<v Speaker 1>to daver dogs and ground penetrating radar were deployed. As

86
00:05:58.920 --> 00:06:02.759
<v Speaker 1>of March twenty four, twenty twenty six, no human remains

87
00:06:02.759 --> 00:06:06.480
<v Speaker 1>have been found. The current owners, Don and Mary Catherine Huffins,

88
00:06:06.680 --> 00:06:11.920
<v Speaker 1>cooperated with the search abuse of state ranching and agriculture leases.

89
00:06:13.480 --> 00:06:17.000
<v Speaker 1>The evidence shows that Epstein purchased the land comprising the

90
00:06:17.079 --> 00:06:20.600
<v Speaker 1>Zoro Ranch in ninety three from then New Mexico Governor

91
00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:24.319
<v Speaker 1>Bruce King. As noted in later years, Epstein made a

92
00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:27.439
<v Speaker 1>contribution of Bruce King's son, Gary King, then the sitting

93
00:06:27.480 --> 00:06:30.639
<v Speaker 1>New Mexico Attorney General, in support of the latter's campaign

94
00:06:31.160 --> 00:06:35.439
<v Speaker 1>for New Mexico governor. Reportedly, this money was later returned.

95
00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:39.759
<v Speaker 1>Records obtained from New Mexico's State Land Office indicate that

96
00:06:39.800 --> 00:06:42.279
<v Speaker 1>part of the Lae property would be used as a

97
00:06:42.360 --> 00:06:48.079
<v Speaker 1>landing strip for a private aircraft. Documentation filed with NMSLO

98
00:06:48.360 --> 00:06:52.920
<v Speaker 1>has indicated that Maxwell acted as a disinterested person in

99
00:06:52.959 --> 00:06:56.680
<v Speaker 1>appraising the Lae property. Email evidence indicates that cattle were

100
00:06:56.759 --> 00:06:59.480
<v Speaker 1>present on the property between two thousand and six and

101
00:06:59.519 --> 00:07:03.360
<v Speaker 1>two thousand. The evidence shows Epstein made efforts to meet

102
00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:06.160
<v Speaker 1>the grazing lease requirements, at least for a part of

103
00:07:06.199 --> 00:07:09.720
<v Speaker 1>the time that he held the property. These efforts, however,

104
00:07:09.759 --> 00:07:13.519
<v Speaker 1>appear to have been haphazard and sporadic, and the record

105
00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:17.439
<v Speaker 1>does not show leasing requirements were met. Subsequent to twenty twelve,

106
00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:23.160
<v Speaker 1>Epstein retained Paul Bardaki, a former New Mexico Attorney General,

107
00:07:23.319 --> 00:07:26.600
<v Speaker 1>to review his grazing lease. The earliest mention of the

108
00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:30.000
<v Speaker 1>cattle on Zoro Ranch and material reviewed thus far by

109
00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:33.680
<v Speaker 1>the Commission is in two thousand and five. Specifically, on

110
00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:37.720
<v Speaker 1>December twenty eighth, two thousand and five, Zoro Trust entered

111
00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:41.199
<v Speaker 1>into an agreement with Eddie L. Burns under which Burns

112
00:07:41.240 --> 00:07:45.040
<v Speaker 1>would assume the grazing lease. The agreement provided in part

113
00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:49.839
<v Speaker 1>as follows. Owner has delivered to Burns and Burns acknowledges

114
00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:53.439
<v Speaker 1>receipt and understanding of the terms of the BLM lease

115
00:07:53.720 --> 00:07:56.920
<v Speaker 1>and the two SLO leases, and agrees to comply with

116
00:07:56.959 --> 00:08:00.680
<v Speaker 1>the terms of the BLM leases and the sl LOW leases.

117
00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:05.120
<v Speaker 1>Owner explicitly denies permission to Burns to use land that

118
00:08:05.240 --> 00:08:09.160
<v Speaker 1>is not suitable or appropriate for livestock raising purposes, or

119
00:08:09.240 --> 00:08:11.639
<v Speaker 1>land that is in close proximity to any of the

120
00:08:11.720 --> 00:08:17.600
<v Speaker 1>existing residences or airscript on the fee simple property owner

121
00:08:17.639 --> 00:08:21.120
<v Speaker 1>grants permission to Burns to use the fee simple property

122
00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:25.680
<v Speaker 1>for livestock raising purposes. Effectively, upon the execution of the license,

123
00:08:26.040 --> 00:08:30.040
<v Speaker 1>Burns is expressly precluded from using the BLM lease property

124
00:08:30.040 --> 00:08:33.960
<v Speaker 1>and SLO lease property until Burns has been granted respective

125
00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:38.960
<v Speaker 1>subleases by the BLM and SLO. Burns maintained his lease

126
00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:43.840
<v Speaker 1>until twenty ten. Cattle became preoccupied in the twenty ten

127
00:08:43.879 --> 00:08:48.480
<v Speaker 1>eleven timeframe. An email from con to Epstein dated August

128
00:08:48.519 --> 00:08:52.279
<v Speaker 1>twenty seventh, twenty ten, indicates Kahn check the Santa Fe

129
00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:57.600
<v Speaker 1>County website and understood as follows. A grazing valuation claims

130
00:08:57.679 --> 00:09:00.000
<v Speaker 1>require proof of presence of at least one h had

131
00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:03.200
<v Speaker 1>of livestock on a minimum land requirement of eighty acres

132
00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:07.840
<v Speaker 1>southern Santa Fe County and fifty three acres Northern Santa

133
00:09:07.879 --> 00:09:11.200
<v Speaker 1>Fe County, and proof that the livestock has access to

134
00:09:11.240 --> 00:09:14.639
<v Speaker 1>all of the agricultural land for the tax. Here. This

135
00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:16.879
<v Speaker 1>may be in the form of a grazing lease, a

136
00:09:16.919 --> 00:09:20.840
<v Speaker 1>personal property declaration of livestock that grays on the land,

137
00:09:21.159 --> 00:09:25.240
<v Speaker 1>or some other proof of grazing use. Grazing, however, must

138
00:09:25.279 --> 00:09:27.480
<v Speaker 1>be the primary use of the land in order to

139
00:09:27.559 --> 00:09:31.840
<v Speaker 1>qualify b website did not provide a clear answer of

140
00:09:31.879 --> 00:09:34.960
<v Speaker 1>how many acres each livestock exempt, so I called Larry

141
00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:40.720
<v Speaker 1>Valdez telephone number redacted from the Agriculture County Assessor's office

142
00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:44.200
<v Speaker 1>and left two messages. Con further explained that Epstein's lease

143
00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:47.879
<v Speaker 1>with Eddie limits him to fifty headed cattle unless otherwise

144
00:09:47.879 --> 00:09:51.240
<v Speaker 1>agreed upon by you and writing, but that the application

145
00:09:51.360 --> 00:09:54.240
<v Speaker 1>with New Mexico stated that we will have at least

146
00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:58.279
<v Speaker 1>forty nine cattle. Con concluded that there's a small window

147
00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:00.879
<v Speaker 1>one cattle for Eddie not to be in violation of

148
00:10:00.919 --> 00:10:04.679
<v Speaker 1>his lease. I didn't believe that livestock exempted a max amount,

149
00:10:04.720 --> 00:10:08.559
<v Speaker 1>only a minimum. Epstein seemed frustrated, email and con the

150
00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:12.159
<v Speaker 1>same day are cattle? I want an answer. Bryce is

151
00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:16.240
<v Speaker 1>not my tax advisor. A September third, twenty ten email

152
00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:19.840
<v Speaker 1>from Burns informs Epstein that we're removing our cattle from

153
00:10:19.840 --> 00:10:23.879
<v Speaker 1>the land held by Zoro Development. Subsequent emails clarify that

154
00:10:23.919 --> 00:10:28.759
<v Speaker 1>Burns terminated the lease. An email dated April thirteenth, twenty

155
00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:32.159
<v Speaker 1>eleven to Epstein states that cattle are on site and

156
00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:35.639
<v Speaker 1>will be branded today until they have settled in. They

157
00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:39.320
<v Speaker 1>will remain in the corral unit next Monday. A document

158
00:10:39.399 --> 00:10:43.879
<v Speaker 1>dated April eleventh, twenty eleven, reflects the purchase of fifteen

159
00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:48.240
<v Speaker 1>heads of cattle for a related expense for ten nine

160
00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:51.840
<v Speaker 1>hundred and nineteen dollars and fifty cents. On October fourteenth,

161
00:10:51.879 --> 00:10:56.039
<v Speaker 1>twenty eleven, Epstein received two emails from a person whose

162
00:10:56.120 --> 00:10:58.639
<v Speaker 1>name has been redacted, who wished to graze cattle on

163
00:10:58.679 --> 00:11:02.679
<v Speaker 1>the land to satisfy the lease requirements. The substance of

164
00:11:02.679 --> 00:11:05.759
<v Speaker 1>these emails is the same. The second of these emls

165
00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:08.519
<v Speaker 1>states as follows, I would like to meet the requirement

166
00:11:08.519 --> 00:11:11.440
<v Speaker 1>for the cattle and the land lease. This year, you

167
00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:14.360
<v Speaker 1>purchased fifteen young cows and sold them after a certain

168
00:11:14.399 --> 00:11:17.080
<v Speaker 1>amount of time. I would purchase the same amount of

169
00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:20.159
<v Speaker 1>young cows heifers, but not sell them. They would stay

170
00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:23.519
<v Speaker 1>here all year. Then the following spring, I'll purchase a

171
00:11:23.559 --> 00:11:26.720
<v Speaker 1>bull and breed them as two year olds. I'll sell

172
00:11:26.720 --> 00:11:30.000
<v Speaker 1>off the off spring yearly and keep the original fifteen head.

173
00:11:30.360 --> 00:11:32.519
<v Speaker 1>The off spring will eventually pay me back for the

174
00:11:32.519 --> 00:11:37.399
<v Speaker 1>initial cost of the cattle and additional costs associated feed shots, etc.

175
00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:41.000
<v Speaker 1>It'll take three years to see any cash flow back.

176
00:11:41.720 --> 00:11:44.200
<v Speaker 1>I think this plant is simple and meet your requirement

177
00:11:44.279 --> 00:11:48.000
<v Speaker 1>for the land lease and allows me an opportunity for

178
00:11:48.080 --> 00:11:51.440
<v Speaker 1>me to expand my horizons. No response to these emails

179
00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:54.039
<v Speaker 1>was found. The law firm of Sutton, day Are and

180
00:11:54.120 --> 00:11:58.600
<v Speaker 1>Brown PC was retained to advise Epstein regarding grazing leases.

181
00:11:59.120 --> 00:12:03.399
<v Speaker 1>On February third, twenty twelve, Bryce Gordon emailed Epstein's stating

182
00:12:04.120 --> 00:12:08.279
<v Speaker 1>to retain the agricultural exemption, a cattle sublease would be required.

183
00:12:08.919 --> 00:12:12.759
<v Speaker 1>The sublease which Zorro had with Eddie Burns was terminated

184
00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:15.399
<v Speaker 1>when Eddie left the ranch, but as you know, Steve

185
00:12:15.480 --> 00:12:19.879
<v Speaker 1>Chavez is open to taking a sublease. Documentation shows a

186
00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:23.480
<v Speaker 1>grazing lease was contemplated. A draft lease was present in

187
00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:29.200
<v Speaker 1>the documentation, However, it's not clear an agreement was ultimately concluded.

188
00:12:29.879 --> 00:12:34.039
<v Speaker 1>In December TEWOD twenty eleven email exchange between Wendy Martinez

189
00:12:34.039 --> 00:12:38.480
<v Speaker 1>and Kahn forwarded to Ebstein, it's mentioned that Chavez previously

190
00:12:38.519 --> 00:12:40.840
<v Speaker 1>had been told he could bring his dad's cattle on

191
00:12:40.879 --> 00:12:44.200
<v Speaker 1>the ranch next spring. Bank records for the month of

192
00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:48.960
<v Speaker 1>April twenty eleven reflect wire transfers for cattle. In September

193
00:12:49.000 --> 00:12:53.320
<v Speaker 1>of twenty nineteen, after Epstein's death, State Land Commissioner Stephanie

194
00:12:53.399 --> 00:12:59.919
<v Speaker 1>Garcia Richard initiated cancelation of Cyprus Incorporated's grazing leases on

195
00:12:59.799 --> 00:13:02.720
<v Speaker 1>one thousand, two hundred and forty three acres of adjacent

196
00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:06.360
<v Speaker 1>State Trust land after Zoro Ranch failed to respond to

197
00:13:06.440 --> 00:13:11.480
<v Speaker 1>multiple inspection access requests following Epstein's death. The Commission has

198
00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:15.399
<v Speaker 1>been unable to locate at this time any documentation showing

199
00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:19.320
<v Speaker 1>that inspection access requests were made prior to Epstein's death,

200
00:13:20.360 --> 00:13:25.320
<v Speaker 1>though formal cancelation letter cited obstruction of access, misrepresentation, and

201
00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:29.080
<v Speaker 1>non agricultural use. It's been claimed that the lease is

202
00:13:29.120 --> 00:13:33.399
<v Speaker 1>effectively functioned as a privacy bufferer on the ranch honor.

203
00:13:33.440 --> 00:13:37.639
<v Speaker 1>About September fourth, twenty nineteen, New Mexico Attorney General Hector

204
00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:41.720
<v Speaker 1>Baldaris issued a statement saying he was pleased Garcia Richard

205
00:13:41.960 --> 00:13:44.720
<v Speaker 1>was taking back lands that should be managed to best

206
00:13:44.759 --> 00:13:48.360
<v Speaker 1>serve the state and the benefit of New Mexico's school children.

207
00:13:48.919 --> 00:13:51.720
<v Speaker 1>In a July twenty fourth, twenty twenty five proffer made

208
00:13:51.720 --> 00:13:55.879
<v Speaker 1>as part of Maxwell's post conviction remedies, Maxwell testified about

209
00:13:55.919 --> 00:13:59.480
<v Speaker 1>the challenges of maintaining cattle on Zoro Ranch, so the

210
00:13:59.559 --> 00:14:03.039
<v Speaker 1>ranch was very challenging because not only that, but it

211
00:14:03.080 --> 00:14:06.200
<v Speaker 1>had BLM land. So to help maintain your BLM, you

212
00:14:06.279 --> 00:14:10.120
<v Speaker 1>have to have cattle, and I love animals. On February tenth,

213
00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:15.320
<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty six, NMSLO Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard wrote to

214
00:14:15.399 --> 00:14:20.120
<v Speaker 1>state and federal law enforcement urging investigation of buried allegations,

215
00:14:20.440 --> 00:14:24.159
<v Speaker 1>noting that streat trust lands are adjacent to the ranch property.

216
00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:26.480
<v Speaker 1>All right, folks, we're going to wrap up right there,

217
00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:28.679
<v Speaker 1>and in the next episode dealing with the topic, we're

218
00:14:28.679 --> 00:14:31.039
<v Speaker 1>going to pick up where we left off. All the

219
00:14:31.080 --> 00:14:34.480
<v Speaker 1>information that goes with this episode can be found in

220
00:14:34.519 --> 00:14:35.519
<v Speaker 1>the description box.