Trump GOP Candidate's Family Bought Epstein's Abuse Ranch for $13.4M
Donald Huffines, a Texas businessman and former Republican state senator now running for Texas comptroller, confirmed through a spokesperson that his family purchased Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch in New Mexico, according to The Guardian.1 The expansive property in southern Santa Fe County was identified in court documents as a location where Epstein allegedly abused underage girls and young women.
The purchase was first reported by the Santa Fe New Mexican after public records linked a limited liability company created one month before the transaction to the Huffines family.2 The LLC acquired the property at public auction in 2023 as part of the Epstein estate’s liquidation, with proceeds benefiting survivors.2
Property Details and Valuation
The ranch, located approximately 30 miles south of Santa Fe, features a 26,700-square-foot mansion, a private airstrip, hangar, helipad, ranch office, firehouse and heated garage.2 Epstein purchased the property in 1993.
The ranch was listed in 2021 for $27.5 million; the asking price was later reduced to $18 million.2 Tax records show the property was appraised at $21.1 million in 2023. Its valuation dropped to $13.4 million in 2024 after the Huffines family argued in a tax protest filing that the property’s “notoriety” justified a lower assessment.2 Tax protest filings list Huffines’ wife as an owner and son Colin Huffines as manager.2 Another son, Russell Huffines, serves as associate director of agency outreach in the Trump administration.2
The property was renamed San Rafael Ranch in 2024 and given a new address.2
Abuse Allegations at the Ranch
Court filings from survivors described the ranch as a location where Epstein brought underage girls, sometimes under the guise of employment or educational opportunities.1 New Mexico authorities had previously examined allegations of abuse at the property but did not bring criminal charges during Epstein’s lifetime.
Concerns intensified after files released under the Epstein Transparency Act included an anonymous allegation that bodies may be buried on or near the property.2 That claim has not been independently verified, but it prompted calls from New Mexico officials for federal and state authorities to open a formal probe.
Political Fallout
Huffines, who served in the Texas state senate from 2015 to 2019, faced questions from state Republican officials about his family’s acquisition of the property.1 He is heading into early voting with a steady lead in the GOP primary for comptroller, facing acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock, Michael Berlanga and Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick in the March 3 primary.2
The Huffines campaign spokesperson told The Guardian the purchase was a real estate investment and that the family had no connection to Epstein. “Four years after Mr. Epstein’s death, the Huffines family purchased property in New Mexico listed at public auction whose proceeds benefited his victims,” the spokesperson said, adding that the family had not visited the property before the auction.2 The spokesperson said the family had not been approached by authorities to search the property but would cooperate if contacted.2
New Mexico Investigation
New Mexico lawmakers subsequently voted to create a “Truth Commission” to investigate what happened at the ranch, marking the first full state-level investigation of the property. The state has since reopened the Zorro Ranch investigation after revelations that the FBI never conducted a full search of the site.
References
- Trump GOP candidate’s family bought Epstein’s ranch for $13.4M — The Guardian
- Don Huffines’ family bought Epstein’s ranch after his death — Texas Tribune