From heavy machinery to campaign donations: Amarillo’s trail through Epstein files

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - The City of Amarillo, Texas is mentioned 24 times in the Epstein Files.

References to the city are scattered like breadcrumbs, appearing across financial transactions, legal documents, and news reports spanning nearly two decades.

Here is a comprehensive timeline of every mention, organized by date.

Editor’s Note: None of the Amarillo residents or businesses mentioned in the files are accused of any wrongdoing related to Jeffrey Epstein.

The Zorro Ranch Connection

February-March 1993

Jeffrey Epstein, as Trustee of the Zorro Trust, entered into an agricultural lease with the New Mexico State Land Office, granting him control of 1,158.97 acres in Santa Fe County for grazing purposes.

The lease was handled by a law firm with offices in Roswell, Albuquerque, Midland, Washington D.C., Santa Fe, and notably** Amarillo, Texas** - establishing an early professional connection between Amarillo and Epstein’s New Mexico ranch operations.

*Water Pipeline Right-of-Way Easement *

July-August 2006

Epstein received this right-of-way easement from the New Mexico State Land Office for a 3-inch PVC water pipeline in Santa Fe County.

In 2011, the easement was assigned from Zorro Trust to Cypress Inc., a Virgin Islands corporation, with Epstein serving as Trustee and President respectively. The assignment was approved December 12, 2012 by the New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands.

The Political Connection

March 7, 2006

A campaign contribution record reveals an Amarillo connection to New Mexico politics. An Amarillo resident contributed $5,000 to Governor-elect Bill Richardson’s 2006 gubernatorial campaign.

Around this same time, Jeffrey Epstein contributed $50,000 to the same campaign. Two donors, thousands of miles apart, were united in their political support of Richardson, who would go on to become New Mexico’s governor.

The Legal Precedent Application

July 2009

In a civil court lawsuit involving a land transaction dispute, federal judges cited the 1993 Amarillo National Bank v. Komatsu Zenoah America, Inc. case when discussing conversion damages. The legal precedent came from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, drawing on Amarillo as an example to resolve a dispute far from Texas.

The Bill Moyers Episode

March 1, 2013

Bill Moyers aired an episode of his PBS program featuring a guest who had written him a letter from Amarillo. This was yet another subtle reference to the city in a sea of documentation surrounding Epstein’s affairs.

The Legal Analysis

2013 (Undated)

A document titled “Estate Planning in Changing (and Challenging) Financial Times” referenced a Texas court case about petroleum and property rights from Amarillo. The citation appeared in materials analyzing financial and estate planning strategies, suggesting Epstein’s advisors drew on precedents — even in Amarillo.

The Hail Storm Email

January 4, 2015

On January 4, 2015, someone sent Epstein an email listing Amarillo as the #2 “Top 10 hail prone cities” in the nation. Why this information mattered to the financier remains unclear, but it appeared in his files, one more Amarillo reference among many.

The Map

February 23, 2014

In an email dated February 23, 2014, Amarillo appeared on a map. The email is from Gregory Brown titled “Greg Brown’s Weekend Reading and Other Things” and compiles various articles, essays, and commentary on social, political and cultural topics.

No context explained what the map showed or why this particular city warranted inclusion, but there it was — a geographic marker in electronic correspondence related to Epstein’s circle.

*The Legal Paper Trail *

2015

In February 2015, a quote for surge protection installation for Zorro Ranch appeared in the files. That same year, on October 15, 2015, Roberts Truck Center issued a purchase agreement for a $79,000 vehicle for Zorro Development Corp.

The payments would flow through multiple channels, and yet Amarillo’s name persisted in the records.

The First Legal Appeal

May 14, 2018

A letter from an inmate at the Clements Unit was submitted to the U.S. District Court in Miami, Florida.

The Equipment Trail Begins

August 7, 2018

On a single day, multiple massive equipment quotes from Warren CAT Rental Store in Amarillo appeared in Epstein’s files:

$70,381quotation for skid steer loadersfor hydraulic excavators$73,636for an excavator$124,548for telehandlers$211,440for additional excavators$316,427

All equipment was destined for Zorro Ranch located about 30 miles southeast of Santa Fe, New Mexico. These heavy machinery orders suggested significant earthmoving and construction activities planned at the sprawling property.

Equipment Delivery Confirmation

December 7, 2018

A letter arrived from Warren CAT Rental Store confirming the equipment rental arrangements and status of orders.

The Second Legal Appeal

January 3, 2019

A second letter from the Clements Unit inmate to the U.S. District Court in Miami, Florida appeared in the files. It is unclear why this inmate’s letters are among the Epstein files.

Equipment Arrival

January 17, 2019

Heavy machinery from Amarillo companies began arriving at Zorro Ranch. The equipment ordered months earlier was now being delivered and presumably deployed to reshape the landscape of Epstein’s New Mexico property.

*The Money Moves *

March 2019

A bank statement from Jeffrey Epstein documented a significant money transfer to SV Enterprises account at an Amarillo bank in the amount of $202,011. This wasn’t petty cash — this was a substantial sum moving through established banking channels in the Texas city.

The News Digest

2020

On July 31, 2020, a DOJ morning news digest listed a KFDA news story about DEA agents investigating a hotel search on West I-40 in which drugs and a stolen gun were found.

The same day saw reports that an Epstein accuser claimed Ghislaine Maxwell was a partner in abuse.

The Amarillo Flight Incident

January 2024

The FBI Daily News Briefing from January 8, 2024, reported that nearly 3,000 pages of Jeffrey Epstein documents were released in recent days.

On the same day, an incident in Amarillo made federal news. According to that same FBI briefing, a man charged with punching a flight attendant was also accused of kicking a police officer in the groin during an incident in Amarillo.

In over 14 years, Amarillo is mentioned 24 times throughout the Epstein files.

While Amarillo wasn’t central to Epstein’s crimes, these documents show how his business dealings touched unexpected places, including right here in the Texas Panhandle.

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