Who Is Clay Higgins? Lone Vote Against Epstein Files Bill

Republican Congressman Clay Higgins emerged as the sole dissenting voice in the US House on Tuesday, voting against a bill that mandates the public release of federal case files linked to Jeffrey Epstein. While lawmakers across both parties overwhelmingly supported the measure, Higgins stood firm, reiterating that his position had remained a “principled no” from the start.

Higgins, a five-term representative from southwest Louisiana and a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, released an extensive statement outlining his objections. While he echoed some concerns previously raised by House Speaker Mike Johnson, he chose not to shift his vote even as Johnson ultimately backed the bill for the sake of transparency.

According to Higgins, his opposition stems from fears that the full release of investigative files could expose the identities of innocent individuals — including alibi witnesses, family members, and people not criminally implicated — potentially leading to undue harm.

“If enacted as written, such a broad disclosure of criminal investigative files, released into a rabid media cycle, will absolutely result in innocent people being hurt,” he warned.

Higgins suggested he might support the legislation if the Senate introduced amendments to protect individuals mentioned in the documents but not involved in wrongdoing. However, the Senate passed the bill unanimously without changes, cementing Higgins as the lone congressional dissenter.

Higgins’s stance surprised few in Washington. A former law-enforcement officer, he first gained public attention for dramatic Crime Stoppers videos that earned him the nickname “Cajun John Wayne.” His congressional career has been marked by provocative rhetoric, social-media controversies, and combative political style.

As chair of a House Oversight subcommittee, he had earlier supported a narrower subpoena for Epstein-related records while resisting efforts to broaden it. Higgins also pushed for the panel to subpoena former President Bill Clinton during hearings on the matter.

With both chambers of Congress now having approved the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the legislation moves to President Donald Trump for final sign-off — bringing the release of long-awaited documents a step closer.