Three investigations are active simultaneously in 2026: the DOJ's 3.5-million-page public archive at justice.gov/epstein, New Mexico's bipartisan Truth Commission investigating Zorro Ranch with subpoena power, and Ghislaine Maxwell's last-ditch habeas petition after the Supreme Court denied her appeal. Here is what is actually happening — verified only from government records and official court filings.
Every claim in this article is sourced to a U.S. government record, official court filing, or state legislature document. No mainstream media articles were used as sources for any factual claim.
The Jeffrey Epstein case has never really gone away — and in 2026, it is moving faster than at any point since Epstein's death in 2019. Three separate investigations are now active at the same time: a federal document release that put over 3.5 million pages online for anyone to read, a criminal probe in New Mexico focused on his private ranch, and a legal battle by his convicted co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell that has now exhausted every available appeal.
In late January 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice published over 3.5 million pages of Epstein-related documents through an official public portal, with the DOJ formally announcing the release on February 1, 2026. The release was required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act (H.R. 4405), which Congress passed and President Trump signed into law on November 19, 2025.
The entire Epstein Files archive is available at justice.gov/epstein — a direct U.S. government website, not a third-party aggregator. You must confirm you are 18 or older to access it. The portal includes a search function and is regularly updated.
The documents include federal investigative records, court filings, FBI interview transcripts, and materials related to the government's handling of the Epstein case over the years. The portal is regularly updated; as of the time this article was written, the most recent update visible on the site was April 17, 2026.
Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in December 2021 on five federal counts, including sex trafficking of a minor. She is currently serving a 20-year sentence at FCI Tallahassee in Florida. Maxwell has pursued every available legal avenue to challenge her conviction, and every one has failed.
| Date | Action | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| September 17, 2024 | Second Circuit Court of Appeals — appeal of conviction (Case No. 22-1426) | Upheld conviction |
| November 25, 2024 | Second Circuit — rehearing request | Denied |
| October 6, 2025 | Supreme Court — petition for certiorari (No. 24-1073) | DENIED — all direct appeals exhausted |
| December 2025 | § 2255 habeas corpus petition filed in SDNY | Pending |
| April 20, 2026 | Amended § 2255 petition received by prosecutors (Dkt. 856) | Government requested more time to respond |
With direct appeals exhausted, Maxwell filed a § 2255 habeas corpus petition — a separate legal process that allows a convicted person to challenge their imprisonment on constitutional grounds. On April 20, 2026, federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York filed a letter to the district court (Docket Entry 856, Case No. 1:20-cr-00330) confirming receipt of Maxwell's amended petition. The government requested additional time to respond, citing the volume of Epstein Files materials they are required to review. The contents of Maxwell's amended filing have not been made public.
"A § 2255 petition is a long-shot legal avenue. Federal courts grant them rarely, and Maxwell's conviction has already survived multiple rounds of appellate review."
— Context note
Epstein's Zorro Ranch — a 7,500-acre private estate in Santa Fe County, New Mexico — was purchased by Epstein from former New Mexico Governor Bruce King in 1993. According to federal court documents, the ranch, which has its own airstrip and helipad, was a site of sex trafficking. Maxwell was convicted in part for crimes that occurred there.
In 2026, New Mexico launched the most aggressive state-level investigation into Epstein's activities to date. On February 16, 2026, the New Mexico House of Representatives voted unanimously to pass House Resolution 1, creating a Special Investigatory Subcommittee — widely referred to as the 'Epstein Truth Commission.' The bipartisan committee consists of four members: two Democrats (Rep. Andrea Romero and Rep. Marianna Anaya) and two Republicans (Rep. Andrea Reeb and Rep. William Hall).
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Created by | New Mexico House Resolution 1, 57th Legislature, 2nd Session, 2026 |
| Vote | Unanimous — bipartisan |
| Budget | $2 million — funded entirely from a 2023 bank settlement (no taxpayer money) |
| Powers | Subpoena witnesses, compel testimony, administer oaths |
| Interim report due | July 31, 2026 |
| Final report due | December 31, 2026 |
| Property searched | March 9–10, 2026 by NM DOJ, NM State Police, and Sandoval County Sheriff |
The $2 million budget is funded entirely from a 2023 settlement between New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez and several financial services companies that were found to have failed to identify abuses at the ranch. No taxpayer money is being used. The NM DOJ has not released findings from the March search as of April 22, 2026.
Separately, the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has been conducting its own investigation into the federal government's handling of the Epstein and Maxwell cases. Chairman James Comer (R-KY) issued subpoenas in 2025 for Epstein-related records and for documents from the Epstein estate. The committee has confirmed that Maxwell was subpoenaed for a deposition as part of this investigation.
The investigation is active and ongoing. Several important questions remain unanswered as of April 22, 2026.
| Question | Status |
|---|---|
| What is in Maxwell's amended habeas petition? | Not yet public |
| What did investigators find at Zorro Ranch? | NM DOJ has not released findings |
| What will the Truth Commission's July report contain? | Report due July 31, 2026 |
| Will Maxwell's habeas petition succeed? | Court has not ruled — historically very unlikely |
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