Rep. Clay Higgins Reveals Why He Was The Only Lawmaker To Vote No On The Release Of Epstein Files

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This was a bizarre move by Representative Clay Higgins.

On Tuesday Republican lawmaker Clay Higgins of Louisiana was the lone lawmaker to vote no on the release of the Epstein Files.

Now Higgins has revealed why he decided to vote no.

The Hill reported more on Higgin’s bizarre move and shared details on his explanation on why he decided to vote no on the bill:

Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) was the only House member to vote against a bill Tuesday that will order the Justice Department to release files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Higgins, a conservative with a background in law enforcement, said he’s been a “principled ‘NO’” on the Epstein Files Transparency Act “from the beginning.”

“As written, this bill reveals and injures thousands of innocent people — witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc,” he wrote Tuesday in a statement on social platform X.

“If enacted in its current form, this type of broad reveal of criminal investigative files, released to a rabid media, will absolutely result in innocent people being hurt,” the Louisiana Republican added. “Not by my vote.”

The lawmaker in his official bio touts himself as “one of the most conservative members of Congress” and often leans into his law enforcement background. He’s also a member of the House Freedom Caucus and serves as chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee, where he’s tasked with investigating corruption.

Throughout his involvement in politics, Higgins has remained lockstep with key principles that “champion for smaller government, lower taxes, secure borders, and individual freedoms,” according to his website.

He has close ties with organizations that advance those core components, including the Three Percenters, which are known for promoting a decentralized and anti-government movement, in addition to the Oath Keepers, who define themselves as a far-right anti-government militia.

Here’s Higgin’s full response:

I have been a principled “NO” on this bill from the beginning. What was wrong with the bill three months ago is still wrong today. It abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure in America.

As written, this bill reveals and injures thousands of innocent people – witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc. If enacted in its current form, this type of broad reveal of criminal investigative files, released to a rabid media, will absolutely result in innocent people being hurt. Not by my vote. The Oversight Committee is conducting a thorough investigation that has already released well over 60,000 pages of documents from the Epstein case.

That effort will continue in a manner that provides all due protections for innocent Americans. If the Senate amends the bill to properly address privacy of victims and other Americans, who are named but not criminally implicated, then I will vote for that bill when it comes back to the House.



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