Why Congressman Clay Higgins Stood Alone Against Releasing the Jeffrey Epstein Files

Higgins stated that the bill exposes and harms thousands of innocent individuals (File).

Washington:

On Tuesday, both Democrats and Republicans anticipated a unanimous House vote to pass legislation forcing the release of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's case files. However, one lawmaker stood in opposition: Republican Representative Clay Higgins.

Higgins, serving his fifth term representing southwest Louisiana, released a comprehensive statement explaining he was "a principled 'NO' on this bill from the beginning." He shared concerns similar to those of House Speaker Mike Johnson, another Louisiana Republican, though Johnson ultimately supported the bill, stating, "None of us want to go on record and in any way be accused of not being for maximum transparency."

For Higgins, a staunch Trump supporter and member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, this wasn't a concern.

He maintained his opposition despite mounting pressure from the Republican base and Epstein abuse survivors, even as President Donald Trump and Johnson withdrew their objections. Higgins expressed concern that the 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," he further explained.

Higgins indicated he might support an amended Senate version protecting the privacy of those "who are named but not criminally implicated." However, hours later, the Senate passed the bill through unanimous consent, making Higgins the sole congressional member opposing the legislation.

Higgins has a history of controversy. As a former law enforcement officer, he faced misconduct allegations and entered politics after gaining viral fame through provocative Crime Stoppers videos. Media outlets nicknamed him the "Cajun John Wayne," and he has subsequently challenged people to physical confrontations on social media.

In 2020, Facebook removed one of his posts threatening armed protesters for violating violence and incitement policies.

In Congress, he chairs the House Oversight Committee subcommittee that initiated a subpoena for the Epstein case files. When Democrats convinced several Republicans to support issuing the subpoena, Higgins remained opposed. He also advocated for subpoenaing former President Bill Clinton.

"I've never handled a subpoena like this. This is some fascinating stuff," Higgins remarked at the time. On Tuesday, he referenced the oversight panel's investigation into the government's handling of Epstein, noting it was proceeding "in a manner that provides all due protections for innocent Americans."

Last year, Higgins faced a Democratic censure attempt for racist comments about Haitian immigrants following Trump's remarks about the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio.

In a social media post, Higgins described Haitians as "wild. Eating pets, vudu, nastiest country in the western hemisphere, cults, slapstick gangsters."

After confrontation by Congressional Black Caucus members, Higgins deleted the post and partially retracted his comments, claiming they targeted gang members.

Johnson defended Higgins then, calling him "a very frank and outspoken person" and "a very principled man."