In a historic 427-1 vote in the House, GOP Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana was the only lawmaker to vote against the bipartisan bill forcing the release of Jeffrey Epstein files — and he’s explaining why.
Higgins argued the legislation could harm innocent people:
“It abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure in America… reveals and injures thousands of innocent people — witnesses, alibi providers, family members, etc.”
While other Republicans voiced caution, Higgins broke ranks formally, highlighting the Oversight Committee’s thorough probe into Epstein and saying he’d only support the bill if the Senate made amendments to protect victims and uninvolved Americans.
But with the Senate unlikely to change the bill and President Trump signaling he would sign it, Higgins remains standing alone. He told CNN:
“It’s not the White House and the president, it’s people that stand for long-standing criminal justice procedures that this bill does not observe… support what we’re doing in the Oversight Committee, not what’s being pushed in this petition.”
Higgins’ vote marks a rare moment of principle in a landslide House decision, and his stance is sparking debate over privacy, justice, and the limits of transparency.
