Clay Higgins Stands Alone Voting Against Release of Jeffrey Epstein Files, Cites Protection of Innocents
Rep. Clay Higgins is the sole House member opposing full release of Epstein investigation files.
Amid overwhelming bipartisan support in the U.S. House of Representatives to release the Jeffrey Epstein investigation files, Louisiana Republican Congressman Clay Higgins was the sole dissenting vote against the bill. Higgins explained in a detailed statement that his principled “NO” was premised on concerns about the bill’s broad disclosure provisions, which he argued would “reveal and injure thousands of innocent people,” including witnesses, family members, and those who provided alibis.
Higgins, a fervent Trump supporter and a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, underscored that while the Oversight Committee conducting its investigation has already released over 60,000 pages of documents with due protections, the Senate’s bill as it stands lacked sufficient privacy safeguards. He expressed openness to support the bill if amended to protect individuals "named but not criminally implicated." However, with the Senate passing the bill unanimously without such changes, Higgins remains the lone member opposing it.
The vote came amid heightened pressure from survivors of Epstein’s abuse, advocates for transparency, and political leaders including former President Donald Trump, who ultimately endorsed the bill despite initially opposing it. House Speaker Mike Johnson, also from Louisiana, criticized aspects of the bill but chose to vote in favor to avoid being seen as opposing transparency. Higgins refused to yield, maintaining that the bill’s indiscriminate release to “a rabid media” risks irreparable harm to innocent individuals.
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Higgins’s controversial stance is consistent with his outspoken reputation. Known as “Cajun John Wayne” for his blunt law enforcement style and viral Crime Stoppers videos, Higgins has faced accusations of inciting violence and past social media controversies, including racially insensitive remarks about Haitian immigrants. Despite this, he chairs the House Oversight Committee’s subcommittee that subpoenaed the Department of Justice for Epstein case files and has pushed to investigate other high-profile figures, including former President Bill Clinton.
This vote has further spotlighted Higgins as a polarizing figure willing to stand against party consensus on high-stakes issues. While survivors and the public push for full transparency into Epstein’s criminal network, Higgins warns that the rush to indiscriminate disclosure must be balanced with the protection of innocent parties caught in the crossfire of such expansive investigations.
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