The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandates the Department of Justice to release all documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, with a final vote of 427-1. The only dissenting vote came from Republican Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana, who opposed the bill on grounds it failed to safeguard victim privacy.
Rep. Higgins stated his opposition in a public post, asserting that the legislation “abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure in America” and risks exposing “thousands of innocent people—witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc.” He emphasized that the Oversight Committee’s ongoing investigation has already released over 60,000 pages of documents, with protections for innocent Americans remaining intact.
The bill now moves to the Senate, where it may be amended. Speaker Mike Johnson urged the Senate to add privacy protections for victims and whistleblowers, a concern Higgins highlighted. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune rejected further changes, noting there is broad Republican support for passing the bill and moving forward. If the Senate approves the measure, President Trump has pledged to sign it into law.
The legislation requires Attorney General Pam Bondi to disclose “unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials” related to Epstein, including federal records on his convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell and other individuals connected to Epstein’s “criminal activities, civil settlements, immunity, plea agreements or investigatory proceedings.” Victims’ names and identifying information, as well as child sex abuse material, would be excluded from disclosure.
The House’s action marks a critical step in the transparency process, with further developments pending in the Senate.
