In a rare moment of near-unanimity, Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives prepared to pass legislation Tuesday that would force the release of Jeffrey Epstein's case files. The convicted sex offender's documents have been the subject of intense public interest and political pressure.
The Lone Dissenting Voice
Despite overwhelming bipartisan support, one lawmaker stood firmly in opposition: Republican Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana. The fifth-term congressman, representing southwest Louisiana, declared himself "a principled 'NO' on this bill from the beginning" in a detailed statement explaining his position.
Higgins raised objections similar to those initially voiced by House Speaker Mike Johnson, another Louisiana Republican. However, Johnson ultimately relented, stating he would vote for the bill because "None of us want to go on record and in any way be accused of not being for maximum transparency."
Privacy Concerns Override Political Pressure
For Higgins, a fervent Trump supporter and member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, political pressure proved insufficient to change his stance. He resisted mounting calls from within the Republican base and survivors of Epstein's abuse to support the legislation, even as both former President Donald Trump and Speaker Johnson dropped their opposition.
The congressman expressed deep concern that the bill "reveals and injures thousands of innocent people — witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc." He warned that "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."
Higgins indicated he might support the legislation if the Senate amended it to protect the privacy of those "who are named but not criminally implicated." However, just hours after the House vote, the Senate passed the bill through unanimous consent, leaving Higgins as the only lawmaker in Congress officially recorded against the measure.
A History of Controversial Positions
This isn't the first time Higgins has found himself at odds with political consensus. The former law enforcement officer faced multiple misconduct allegations earlier in his career and gained political traction after achieving viral fame through his brash Crime Stoppers videos.
His aggressive style earned him the media nickname "Cajun John Wayne" and he's lived up to the moniker by challenging people to fights on social media. In 2020, Facebook removed one of his posts promising force against armed protesters for violating the platform's violence and incitement policies.
Within Congress, Higgins chairs the House Oversight Committee subcommittee that initiated the subpoena for Epstein case files. Even when Democrats convinced several Republicans to join them in issuing the subpoena, Higgins remained among the few opposed. He also pushed for the subcommittee to subpoena former President Bill Clinton.
"I've never handled a subpoena like this. This is some fascinating stuff," Higgins remarked during the proceedings. On Tuesday, he pointed to the oversight panel's ongoing investigation into the government's handling of Epstein matters, emphasizing it was being conducted "in a manner that provides all due protections for innocent Americans."
Last year, Higgins faced a censure attempt by Democrats for racist comments about Haitian immigrants. In a social media post, he described Haitians as "wild. Eating pets, vudu, nastiest country in the western hemisphere, cults, slapstick gangsters."
After confrontation by members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Higgins deleted the post and partially walked back his comments, claiming they were directed at gang members. At the time, Johnson defended his colleague, calling Higgins "a very frank and outspoken person" and "a very principled man."
