Congressman Clay Higgins casts lone 'no' vote on Epstein files release

WASHINGTON, DC: Lawmakers from both parties moved swiftly to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a bill compelling the federal government to disclose as much information as possible from Jeffrey Epstein’s case files.

Yet the unity fractured when Rep Clay Higgins cast the lone vote against it, igniting intense criticism across social media.

Social media erupted over Clay Higgins’ vote against releasing the Epstein files

Online outrage erupted after Republican Rep Clay Higgins cast the lone vote against releasing the Epstein Files. One user questioned, "Why the stubble. makes him even creepier.." 

A user slammed, "Shame on Clay Higgins for being the sole individual to vote against this."

A commenter wrote, "Investigate this wretch immediately! Pretty sure you won't have too dig too deeply."

Another social media commenter urged, “Oust him.”

One person said, "Investigate Clay Higgins"

Someone else declared, "They need to check his hard drive and browser history." 

Another commenter wrote, "Looks like he needs investigated.."

An enraged user warned, “Just remember that Trump can order the release without an act of congress.”

Another speculated, "Seems like he knows whose on the list."

Someone else said, “Oh, shame on the whole mess! You all know vital info will or has disappeared .”

Clay Higgins defends his decision to vote against releasing Epstein files

Clay Higgins defended his decision on X after the vote. He wrote, “I have been a principled “NO” on this bill from the beginning. What was wrong with the bill three months ago is still wrong today.” 

He continued, “It abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure in America. As written, this bill reveals and injures thousands of innocent people – witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc.”

He went on to say that releasing broad investigative files “to a rabid media” would harm innocent people, and he refused to support 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. Not by my vote.”

He added, “The Oversight Committee is conducting a thorough investigation that has already released well over 60,000 pages of documents from the Epstein case. That effort will continue in a manner that provides all due protections for innocent Americans. ”

Higgins said he would back the bill only “If the Senate amends the bill to properly address privacy of victims and other Americans, who are named but not criminally implicated.” He added that he would “vote for that bill when it comes back to the House.”

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