The US House of Representatives has taken a monumental step towards transparency, voting overwhelmingly to force the release of all documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.
In a stunning display of near-unanimity, the bill passed with 427 votes in favour. The political landscape was left reeling, however, by the identity of the single legislator who stood against the tide: Clay Higgins, a Republican Congressman from Louisiana.
Why Did Clay Higgins Vote No?
Following the controversial vote, Higgins took to social media platform X to defend his solitary stance. He argued that the bill, as written, posed a significant threat to innocent individuals.
His central concern was that a broad release of the criminal investigative files would "reveal and injure thousands of innocent people", including witnesses, family members, and those who provided alibis, but were not criminally implicated.
Higgins expressed fear that handing such unredacted documents to a "rabid media" would lead to collateral damage, harming people who had no involvement in Epstein's crimes. He did, however, leave the door open for support, stating he would vote for a revised bill if the Senate amended it to better protect the privacy of victims and other named Americans.
Who is Congressman Clay Higgins?
Clay Higgins is no stranger to controversy. A staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, he is currently serving his fifth term as a US Representative for Louisiana and is a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus.
His political career has been punctuated by contentious remarks. Prior to his time in office, his tenure as a police officer was marred by misconduct allegations, earning him the nickname "Cajun John Wayne".
Perhaps most infamously, he faced calls for removal after making racist comments online about Haitian immigrants, seemingly backing up a claim by Donald Trump that they were "eating cats and dogs". Higgins later deleted the post and claimed his remarks were directed at gang members.
The Road Ahead for the Epstein Documents
The legislative process is now moving to the Senate, where the bill is expected to pass automatically after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pushed for unanimous consent. From there, it will land on the desk of President Donald Trump, who has promised to sign it into law.
This push for disclosure comes after the House Oversight Committee already released thousands of pages from Epstein's estate, which detailed his connections to global leaders, political figures, and businessmen, including Trump himself.
Other notable names, such as tech billionaire and PayPal founder Peter Thiel, have appeared in related documents. A representative for Thiel confirmed he was invited to Epstein's island in 2018 but asserted he never visited.
President Trump has stated he cut ties with Epstein years ago and has expressed concern that the files might "detract from the great success of the Republican Party," suggesting Epstein was more connected to Democrats.
If enacted, the files are expected to be made public in a searchable and downloadable format within 30 days. While many documents, including flight logs, are already public, the full release is anticipated to shed further light on the scale of Epstein's network, fuelling intense speculation about who else might be implicated.
