An old definition of bipartisanship is when Democrats and Republicans come together to abandon principle. Case in point: Tuesday’s House vote of 427–1 to make the Justice Department release the “Epstein files.” That means unclassified material that couldn’t be used to charge anyone with a crime, but that now can be employed to smear reputations and embarrass opponents.
The Senate, supposedly the more reflective chamber, passed the measure without amendment and by unanimous consent. At least the House put its members on record. After President Trump changed his mind about the Epstein files and urged Republicans to go along for the ride, all did—except one.
That was Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins. “What was wrong with the bill three months ago is still wrong today,” Mr. Higgins wrote Tuesday on social media. “It abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure in America.” He’s right and deserves credit for standing alone.
Mr. Higgins continued: “This type of broad reveal of criminal investigative files, released to a rabid media, will absolutely result in innocent people being hurt.” Unfortunately, that has become the point. We don’t know what the files contain, but there’s probably plenty embarrassing. Republicans and Democrats are both hoping that the other party gets the worst of it.
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