Texas Comptroller Candidate Faces GOP Backlash After Family Bought Epstein’s Zorro Ranch
Texas comptroller candidate Don Huffines is under scrutiny from within his own party after the revelation that his family’s company owns the notorious Zorro Ranch once held by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The controversy has injected fresh tension into the GOP’s March 3 primary as voters question transparency and ethics.
The property in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, was sold at a public auction in 2023, four years after Epstein’s death. Huffines’ campaign told The Texas Tribune that proceeds from the sale benefited Epstein’s victims and that the family had never visited the land before purchasing it.
The ownership surfaced only after the limited liability company tied to the Huffines family sought to lower the ranch’s tax valuation — a move that triggered public records disclosures. That revelation has prompted some Texas Republicans to call for investigations and full disclosure of the transaction.
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The ranch has a fraught history: legal filings and news reports note its association with alleged sex trafficking and abuse during Epstein’s lifetime. New Mexico officials have separately urged law enforcement to search the property based on unverified claims of human remains, though no formal criminal probe is underway.
“All proceeds benefited Epstein’s victims and this was a standard auction purchase,” Huffines’ campaign spokesperson said.
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The comptroller’s office manages Texas’s finances, making the race a high-stakes contest. Huffines’ opponents argue the ranch issue raises questions about judgement and transparency that voters deserve answered.
With early voting underway, the controversy is expected to stay in the spotlight as both sides press messaging ahead of the primary. What happens next could shape GOP unity and voter confidence statewide.