House Approves Epstein Document Release Amid Controversial 'No' Vote

Wed Nov 19 2025 11:45:59 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A nearly unanimous vote in the House allows the release of documents related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with Louisiana's Clay Higgins as the sole dissenting voice.

In a significant decision, the US House of Representatives passed a bill overwhelmingly to release documents connected to Jeffrey Epstein, with only Republican Clay Higgins voting 'no.' Higgins voiced concerns that the legislation would compromise the privacy of innocent individuals associated with the case. His stance stands out in a congress otherwise united in the bipartisan vote of 427-1, which the Senate also swiftly supported before heading to President Trump's desk for approval.

Nearly every Republican in the US House of Representatives voted on a bill to compel the release of documents tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The lone 'nay' came from the Republican lawmaker from Louisiana, Clay Higgins, who defied his party saying his vote was a principled NO.

What was wrong with the bill three months ago is still wrong today, Higgins wrote on X. It abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure in America.

The resounding vote in favour of the Epstein bill, 427-1, marks a rare moment of bipartisanship on Capitol Hill. Hours later, the US Senate also approved the legislation, clearing the way for the final act - President Donald Trump's signature.

For Higgins, safeguarding the personal information of Epstein's many victims was the primary issue with the legislation. As written, this bill reveals and injures thousands of innocent people – witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc, he wrote on X. 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.

Higgins stated he would support the bill if it were amended, although Republican majority leader John Thune suggested that amendments were unlikely given the overwhelming support the bill received.

Prior to the House passing the legislation, only four Republicans had joined all Democrats in signing a petition to force a vote - Thomas Massie, Lauren Boebert, Nancy Mace, and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

However, after President Trump dropped his opposition, a larger Republican faction rallied behind the bill. Higgins has represented Louisiana's third district since 2017 and is noted as one of the most conservative members of Congress.

This solitary dissenting vote from Higgins is not unprecedented; he has previously taken unorthodox stances within the Republican Party. In 2024, House Republicans voted to censure Higgins for offensive remarks he made on social media.

Higgins's outspokenness on social media has resulted in controversy in the past, with Facebook removing posts from him that were deemed inciting violence.

The BBC has reached out to Higgins's office for further comment.