Who is Rep. Clay Higgins, the only vote against releasing the Epstein files?

In an anticipated session, the House voted 427 to one in favor of releasing the Epstein files held by the Justice Department. The only one against: Clay Higgins, a Louisiana Republican.

Higgins thus broke ranks with his party and went against the direction of Donald Trump, who had urged his own to vote for the measure. His decision also contrasted with the resolution in the Senate, which unanimously pledged to pass the bill once it came from the House.

Why did Higgins vote against releasing the Epstein files

"What was wrong with the bill three months ago is still wrong today," Higgins posted on X after the vote.

In addition to asserting that the bill abandoned "250 years of criminal justice procedure in America," he claimed it harms "thousands of innocent people – witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc."

"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 also added, recalling that, in the meantime, the Oversight Committee is conducting an investigation into the documents "in a manner that provides all due protections for innocent Americans."

Who is 'Captain' Clay Higgins?

A 64-year-old native of New Orleans, Louisiana, he represents the state's 3rd congressional district. He is serving his fifth term, which ends in 2027. He will, however, seek re-election in 2026, according to Ballotpedia.

He graduated from Covington High School and attended Louisiana State University. In his campaign to represent the state, he echoed these roots, "Captain Clay Higgins is a lifelong resident of Louisiana," his campaign website claimed.

He also served for more than a decade on various police forces and then as a Lafayette city sheriff's deputy at the time he was running for office. In fact, he campaigned as Captain Higgins.

In his time on the force, he was dubbed 'Cajun John Wayne' by the local press for his comforting way of speaking and his Crime Stoppers-style videos.

"Louisiana Sheriff Captain Higgins is a straight shooter and a straight talker," when described by a CBS Morning special that featured videos of him telling criminals they were "an embarrassment to every criminal with a brain" and "you’re no good, you ruined your life."

A self-proclaimed "passionate" defender of the Bill of Rights, a convinced Christian, he presents himself as a defender of the America First agenda. In March of this year he considered running for the Senate instead of repeating his position in Congress, but ruled it out, assuring that that was where he would best defend the MAGA proposals.

In the statement in which he assured he would stay in the Lower House, he maintained that he had a good relationship with Speaker Mike Johnson and with Donald Trump, which allows him to sit "at virtually every table during this historically crucial time."

On his official website he claims to be one of the "most conservative" members of Congress. He is part - a "core member," according to his website- of the Republican House Freedom Caucus, as well as of several House Committees, such as Oversight and the Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee, which he chairs.

Past controversies

Higgins resigned from the St Landry Parish Sheriff's Office amid criticism over a video that led to his sheriff asking him to change his tactics.

"I would have to alter the way I do things," he explained why he had decided to step aside. While he said he was willing to "take a bullet" for his sheriff, he acknowledged that he simply could not "abide by his current orders."

Last year, he deleted a post about Haitian immigrants. He is said to have written, according to AP, that they were "wild," "slapstick gangsters" who came from the "nastiest country in the western hemisphere." Democrats tried to censure him with a vote in the House, but the Republican leadership shot down the attempt.