Clay Higgins: The Lone “No” Vote on Epstein Files and a Pattern of Defending the Indefensible
“What was wrong with the bill three months ago is still wrong today.” — Rep. Clay Higgins
Clay Higgins, the hard-right Louisiana Republican who cast the only vote in either chamber of Congress against releasing the Epstein files, now sits at the center of a national firestorm. In 15 years of covering Congress, it’s almost unheard-of to see a measure pass the House 427–1 and then sail through the Senate by unanimous consent within hours. Yet Higgins stood alone, the sole defender of secrecy surrounding the darkest criminal network in recent American history.
His argument? That transparency injures “innocent people.”
His record? A long trail of inflammatory remarks, authoritarian rhetoric, and votes that consistently shield the powerful while punching down at the vulnerable. His district? Louisiana’s 3rd, now thrust into the spotlight as the home of the only lawmaker who wanted to keep Epstein’s files buried. Below is a full, fact-based breakdown of Higgins’s vote, his stated reasoning, and the disturbing pattern behind it.
The Only “No” in America
When the House voted 427–1 to compel the release of DOJ records related to Jeffrey Epstein, only Rep. Clay Higgins opposed it. Every Democrat voted yes. Nearly every Republican voted yes. Even Trump reversed course and endorsed the bill.
The Senate then passed the same bill unanimously.
Higgins is not only the outlier, he’s the only elected official in Congress who wanted to keep Epstein’s federal files locked away. His justification on X:
“This bill reveals and injures thousands of innocent people… released to a rabid media.”
But the bill explicitly protects:
Victims
Witnesses
Anyone providing alibis
Anyone not accused of wrongdoing
Anything containing child sexual abuse material
The bill requires only unclassified DOJ materials tied to Epstein’s criminal activities, civil agreements, immunity deals, and federal proceedings. Higgins’s argument doesn’t hold up to the bill’s actual text.
A Pattern: Higgins Often Stands With Abusers, Not Victims
This isn’t the first time Higgins has defended the indefensible.
1. Censured for Hate Speech About Haitians (2024)
The House formally censured Higgins after he referred to Haiti as “the nastiest country in the western hemisphere” and said Haitians were “eating pets” and “slapstick gangsters.” He also warned immigrants to “get their ass out of our country.” This wasn’t dog-whistling, it was a bullhorn.
2. Facebook Removed His Posts for Inciting Violence
In 2020, Facebook deleted two Higgins posts where he warned armed protesters he would “drop any 10 of you where you stand.” Meta said the posts “violated policies against inciting violence.” This is the mindset of the only person who voted to protect secrecy around Epstein’s federal files.
3. Resigned From Police Job After Weapon-Waving Propaganda Video
Before Congress, Higgins was a St. Landry Parish sheriff’s officer. He resigned after backlash over a “crime” video where he waved a rifle and threatened gangs on camera. Local officials described the video as “unprofessional” and “inflammatory.”
4. He Often Breaks With His Own Party to Take Extreme Positions
Higgins has repeatedly taken positions more extreme than the hard-right flank of the GOP, including:
Opposing sanctions on hostile foreign governments
Opposing police reform that even Republicans supported
Opposing bipartisan transparency measures
Opposing January 6 accountability efforts
His voting pattern consistently favors secrecy, protection for the powerful, and inflammatory rhetoric toward vulnerable groups.
Why This Vote Matters
Higgins wasn’t opposing a partisan effort. He wasn’t voting with Trump (Trump supported the bill). He wasn’t voting with the GOP leadership. He wasn’t voting with the Freedom Caucus. He was voting alone, against survivors, against transparency, and against the largest bipartisan vote of the session. The optics are devastating:
427 members voted to expose Epstein’s federal records.
1 voted to keep them sealed.
That 1 has a history of hateful rhetoric, violence-tinged social media posts, and a resignation from law enforcement for excessive conduct.
Higgins didn’t just break with Congress. He broke with the country.
What His District Will Have to Answer For
Louisiana’s 3rd District, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and surrounding parishes, is now home to the most controversial congressional vote of the year. While the rest of Congress stood with survivors, transparency, and accountability, their representative stood with the shadows. It’s unclear whether Higgins is trying to protect:
Powerful individuals named in the files
His own worldview
Trumpist political priorities
Or something else entirely
But one thing is certain: his district will now have to answer for why their lone representative wanted Epstein’s secrets kept hidden from the American people.
Sources
- BBC News — The only ‘no’ vote on releasing Epstein files
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp7q9ndx67vo - ABC News — House overwhelmingly passes bill to force release of full Epstein files
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/house-overwhelmingly-passes-bill-force-release-full-epstein/story?id=115966508 - ABC News — Senate unanimously approves House bill to release Jeffrey Epstein files
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/senate-unanimously-approves-house-epstein-files-bill/story?id=115971237 - U.S. House Clerk — Roll Call Vote for H.R. 8853 (Epstein Files Transparency Act)
https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025489 - Business Insider — Facebook removes post from Congressman threat to shoot protesters
https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-removes-post-from-congressman-threat-to-shoot-protesters-2020-9 - CBS News — House votes to censure Rep. Clay Higgins after remarks about Haiti
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/clay-higgins-censure-haiti-remarks-house/
