BREAKING: House votes to release ‘Epstein files,’ 1 Republican votes ‘no’

The resolution, known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, requires the Department of Justice to publish in a searchable database "all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in the possession of the Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Attorneys’ Offices, that relate to" the investigations and prosecutions into Epstein as well as Ghislaine Maxwell.

Higgins explained why he voted against the bill leading up to the vote.

In another post, Higgins 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. 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. 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. 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. If the Senate amends the bill to properly address privacy of victims and other Americans, who are named but not criminally implicated, then I will vote for that bill when it comes back to the House."

Other files to be released under the bill includes the "flight logs or travel records, including but not limited to manifests, itineraries, pilot records, and customs or immigration documentation, for any aircraft, vessel, or vehicle owned, operated, or used by Jeffrey Epstein or any related entity." The files are also required to have those that are "in connection with Epstein’s criminal activities, civil settlements, immunity or plea agreements, or investigatory proceedings."

Many other documents are also included in the resolution to release the files, however, there are exceptions in the legislation, including the "personally identifiable information of victims or victims’ personal and medical files and similar files the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;" those files that "depict or contain child sexual abuse materials" or the "images of death, physical abuse, or injury of any person;" and an exception in place for files that "contain information specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy and are in fact properly classified pursuant to such Executive order."

Leading up to the vote, there has been pressure from Democrats as well as some Republicans, such as Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie, to release the entirety of the files after the Trump administration has released thousands of files regarding the case.

Trump has also gotten behind the release of the files in a lengthy Truth Social post, saying, "As I said on Friday night aboard Air Force One to the Fake News Media, House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party, including our recent Victory on the Democrat 'Shutdown.' The Department of Justice has already turned over tens of thousands of pages to the Public on 'Epstein,' are looking at various Democrat operatives (Bill Clinton, Reid Hoffman, Larry Summers, etc.) and their relationship to Epstein, and the House Oversight Committee can have whatever they are legally entitled to, I DON’T CARE!"

"All I do care about is that Republicans get BACK ON POINT, which is the Economy, 'Affordability' (where we are winning BIG!), our Victory on reducing Inflation from the highest level in History to practically nothing, bringing down prices for the American People, delivering Historic Tax Cuts, gaining Trillions of Dollars of Investment into America (A RECORD!), the rebuilding of our Military, securing our Border, deporting Criminal Illegal Aliens, ending Men in Women’s Sports, stopping Transgender for Everyone, and so much more! Nobody cared about Jeffrey Epstein when he was alive and, if the Democrats had anything, they would have released it before our Landslide Election Victory. Some “members” of the Republican Party are being 'used,' and we can’t let that happen. Let’s start talking about the Republican Party’s Record Setting Achievements, and not fall into the Epstein 'TRAP,' which is actually a curse on the Democrats, not us. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) pointed out during a floor speech before the vote that when former President Joe Biden was in office as well as when the Democrats had the majority in Congress, the Democrats did not make any effort to release more of the files.