And alone he stood!
Clay Higgins became the only member of Congress to vote against the bill that would release all case files related to Jeffrey Epstein. After the bill was passed, Higgins revealed why it was a “principled ‘NO’” from his end when it came to the declassification.
Several members of the GOP have openly been against the bill. House Speaker Mike Johnson previously labeled it as a “political exercise” with “serious deficiencies.”
President Trump himself, for months, was against releasing the files related to the disgraced billionaire. On several occasions, he labeled the whole deal a “hoax” purely orchestrated by Democrats to take away from the success of his administration and the good work they had done.
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In the end, everyone who staunchly stood against the bill sided with it. Trump took to Truth Social to encourage Republican lawmakers to vote in favor of the bill. He noted that it was time to “move on.” He went on to call the bill a “Democratic hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics.”
Higgins was the only person who stood his ground while opposing the release until the end. The congressman from southwest Louisiana was the only one who voted against the bill, while a unanimous vote from both sides ensured the release.
In a statement, Higgins shared how his decision to vote against the bill was motivated by the intention of protecting innocent people because it “reveals and injures thousands of innocent people, witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc.”
He went on to explain how the documents enacted in their current state would be released to the “rabid media,” which would end with innocent people getting hurt in the process.
The Republican explained how he would be in favor of the bill if it were to be amended to protect individuals “who are named but not criminally implicated.” Higgins, who is sure to be swept up in controversy after being isolated during the vote, isn’t new to it.
The 64-year-old, who was previously a law enforcement officer, rose to fame with his Crime Stoppers videos. He was even dubbed ‘Cajun John Wayne’ for his controversial videos.
Higgins, who chairs the subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee, was the one who initiated the process of subpoenaing the Department of Justice for the Epstein files. Even then, he insisted that the files have to be handled “in a manner that provides all due protections for innocent Americans.”
