Six documents from the DOJ's 1.3 million-page release show Jeffrey Epstein's team coordinated and executed a dinner with **Governor Bill Richardson** on September 19, 2016 — eight years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor.
The documents, part of 538 total records linking Richardson to Epstein, reveal a sustained scheduling effort from August through October 2016. Richardson's assistant Brooke Lange sent correspondence on behalf of the official Office of Governor Bill Richardson and referenced an unspecified "proposal" she hoped Richardson could discuss with Epstein in New York.
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August 2016: The Outreach Begins
On August 10, 2016, Epstein's team emailed Richardson directly with the subject line "Re: Jeffrey Epstein," as preserved in Document vol00010-efta02044855-pdf. The nature of the initial message is not detailed, but the thread indicates Epstein's office was re-establishing contact with Richardson that month.
By September 1, 2016, Epstein's assistant wrote again — this time with a direct invitation. Document vol00010-efta02044815-pdf records the message: "be in NY next week... Sept 18,19,20... see Jeffrey at his home?"
The Dinner Is Set
A follow-up email on September 2, 2016, preserved in Document vol00010-efta02044545-pdf, confirmed the request: "available to come visit Jeffrey at his home in NY Sept 19,20? (on the message I just left I had said Jeffrey will be in NY on 16th as well but that is incorrect!) Please let me know if we could set something up!"
The meeting was confirmed. Document vol00010-efta02043210-pdf — a calendar alert generated by Epstein's household — reads: "Alert — 7:00pm DINNER w/Gov. Bill Richardsorf." The entry is timestamped September 19, 2016.
A simultaneous email chain on the same afternoon, captured in Document vol00010-efta02043007-pdf, shows Epstein's team corresponding with Richardson at 2:44 PM, hours before the evening dinner.
Richardson's Office Pursues a 'Proposal'
One month later, the contact continued. On October 19, 2016, Brooke Lange — writing from the "Office of Governor Bill Richardson, 216 Washington Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501" — sent a message to Epstein's team referencing an active business discussion.
"Just FYI: Gov will be in NYC tomorrow (Thurs, Oct 22) and Monday (Oct 24) if Jeffrey wants to chat about the proposal," Lange wrote in Document vol00010-efta02192637-pdf. "If not, no pressure. Just wanted to let you know Gov will be around just in case."
The nature of "the proposal" is not identified in the document. Epstein's assistant replied the same day: "Unfortunately Jeffrey is leaving NY today! But let me tell him you are asking."
The Context: A Registered Sex Offender
At the time of the September 2016 dinner and October correspondence, Jeffrey Epstein had been a registered sex offender for eight years. He pleaded guilty in 2008 in Palm Beach County, Florida, to one count of soliciting prostitution from a minor. The plea — negotiated through a non-prosecution agreement that shielded co-conspirators — allowed Epstein to avoid federal charges.
Richardson served as Governor of New Mexico from 2003 to 2011, overlapping with the years Epstein actively developed his Zorro Ranch property in Stanley, New Mexico, approximately 80 miles from Santa Fe. By 2016, Richardson was in private life but continued correspondence under official office letterhead.
A Relationship That Preceded the Conviction
The 2016 dinner was not the beginning of the Richardson-Epstein relationship. Earlier documents from the same 538-record set show the connection dating to at least July 2011, when Epstein's assistant coordinated ranch visit logistics directly with Richardson's office.
A September 24, 2013, schedule in separate records shows Richardson booked for a 3:00 PM appointment at Epstein's Manhattan apartments, alongside other appointments that day including Ehud Barak and Darren Indyke — Epstein's longtime estate executor.
The September 2016 dinner represents the latest confirmed in-person meeting documented in the DOJ release. Richardson died in September 2023, before the full 1.3 million pages were unsealed.
All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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This analysis references publicly released documents from the Epstein case archive. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless convicted in a court of law. Language such as “documents indicate” reflects what appears in source materials, not conclusions of guilt. Readers are encouraged to review the cited source documents directly.