Clay Higgins

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Clay Higgins
Clay Higgins official portrait.jpg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Louisiana's 3rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2017
Preceded byCharles Boustany
Personal details
Born
Glen Clay Higgins

(1961-08-24) August 24, 1961 (age 60)
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
Eloisa Rovati
​
​
(m. 1983; div. 1991)​

Rosemary Rothkamm-Hambrice
​
​
(m. 1991; div. 1999)​

Kara Seymour
​
​
(m. 2003; div. 2007)​

Becca Higgins
​
(m. 2009)​
Children4
EducationLouisiana State University
WebsiteHouse website
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Years of service1979–1985
RankArmy-USA-OR-06.svg Staff Sergeant
UnitLouisiana National Guard
Police career
DepartmentOpelousas City Police Department
Port Barre Police Department
St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office
Lafayette City Marshal
Service years2005–2007 (Opelousas)
2007–2010 (Port Barre)
2011–2016 (Sheriff's Office)
2016–present (City Marshal)
RankCaptain insignia gold.svg Captain

Glen Clay Higgins (born August 24, 1961) is an American politician and reserve law enforcement officer from the state of Louisiana. A Republican, he is the U.S. Representative for Louisiana's 3rd congressional district. The district, which contains much of the territory once represented by former Governor Edwin Edwards and former Senator John Breaux, is in the southwestern corner of the state and includes Lafayette, Lake Charles, New Iberia and Opelousas. He won the runoff election on December 10, 2016, defeating fellow Republican Scott Angelle.

Although an elected official, Higgins continues to hold a law enforcement commission as a reserve officer with the Louisiana Attorney General's office.[1]

Early life and education[]

Clay Higgins is the seventh of eight children. He was born in New Orleans, and his family moved to Covington, Louisiana, when he was six years old. The family raised and trained horses.[2] After graduation from Covington High School, Higgins attended Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.[3]

Career[]

At age 18, Higgins enlisted in the Military Police Corps of the Louisiana National Guard, serving for six years (1979–85) and reaching the rank of staff sergeant.[4][3][5]

He worked for several years as a manager of car dealerships.[2]

Local law enforcement[]

In 2004 Higgins became a patrol officer for the Opelousas City Police Department. By 2007, Opelousas Police Department Chief Perry Gallow was prepared to take major disciplinary action against Higgins. In a letter to the City Council, he wrote, "Clay Higgins used unnecessary force on a subject during the execution of a warrant and later gave false statements during an internal investigation. Although he later recanted his story and admitted to striking a suspect in handcuffs and later releasing him".[6] Higgins resigned before disciplinary action could be imposed. In September 2016 during his Congressional campaign, Higgins claimed to have resigned for other reasons. Gallow, by then retired, disputed Higgins's claim at that time.[6]

Higgins next worked for the Port Barre Police Department through 2010. In 2011, he joined the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office. After the office's public information officer was reassigned in October 2014, Higgins was appointed to the role and promoted to captain.[2][7] As public information officer, Higgins made videos for the parish Crime Stoppers program. He first used standard scripts, but began to improvise in his own style, appealing to suspects to surrender and sometimes threatening them by name.[8] His videos went viral, and in 2015 he was described by national media as the "Cajun John Wayne" for his intimidating persona.[4] Sheriff Bobby Guidroz urged restraint, advising Higgins to refrain from personal comments about suspects and to keep a professional tone in his videos.[9]

Higgins also made a video for the state police, with a script that prompted protests from suspects' families and the ACLU. He resigned from the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office in February 2016.[10][11] Guidroz had warned him against using disrespectful and demeaning language about suspects, ordering him to "Tone down his unprofessional comments on our weekly Crime Stoppers messages".[12] He issued a statement saying that Higgins's comments underlined "a growing undertone of insubordination and lack of discipline on Higgins’ part".[13] Guidroz said that Higgins had gone against department policy by misusing his badge and uniform for personal profit and gain, citing Higgins's wearing a uniform in an ad for a security firm. He also reprimanded Higgins for using his badge and uniform on his personal website to support sales of T-shirts and shot glasses for his Limited Liability Corporation (LLC). Higgins also used the department's physical address in registering his LLC with the state; both actions were against department policy.[9]

Salon reported in an investigative article that during this period, Higgins "negotiated paid speaking appearances with other police departments. In one email, Higgins discussed his request for a speaker's fee that included shopping money for his wife and part of the fuel for his friend's private plane."[14] He asked for cash payments. Higgins also conducted his private business via email on "his government email account during work hours without the permission or knowledge of his supervisors. Higgins also appears to have attempted to conceal his earnings from the IRS in order to avoid wage garnishment for unpaid taxes. Whether those actions constitute tax fraud is unclear."[14]

Shortly after resigning from St. Landry Parish, in March 2016 Higgins was accepted and sworn in as a Reserve Deputy Marshal in the city of Lafayette, Louisiana.[15] Reserve forces in city and Parish Sheriff's offices in Louisiana receive regular training and are commissioned as law enforcement officers. They are part-time and made up of persons from many walks of life.[16]

In 2019, Higgins retired his commission as a Reserve Deputy Marshal. He maintains an active law enforcement commission as a reserve officer with the Louisiana Attorney General's office.[1]

Honors[]

Higgins was awarded the title of Kentucky Colonel in March 2016 by Kentucky Governor, Matt Bevin.[17]

U.S. House of Representatives[]

Elections[]

2016[]

After Higgins's resignation from the St. Landry Sheriff's Office, Chris Comeaux, a Republican campaign staffer, recruited him to run for office.[8] In May 2016, Higgins declared his candidacy in the 2016 election in the 3rd district.[18][19] He crossed district lines to run for this seat, as his home in Port Barre is in the neighboring 5th district. Members of the House are not constitutionally required to live in the district they represent.[3] A Super PAC headed by U.S. Senator David Vitter's former chief of staff supported Higgins's candidacy.[18]

Higgins finished second in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on November 8, behind Republican Scott Angelle, in which nearly 68% of the parish voted.[18][20] He faced Angelle in a runoff election on December 10 and won with 56.1% of the vote; turnout had declined to about 28% of voters.[18]

2018[]

Higgins was challenged by Democrats Rob Anderson, Mildred "Mimi" Methvin, Larry Rader, and Verone Thomas, Libertarian Aaron Andrus, and Republican Josh Guillory.[21] President Trump endorsed Higgins.[22] He defeated all six challengers in the jungle primary, winning reelection without a runoff.[23]

In response to protests in response to the police shooting death of Trayford Pellerin, Higgins made a post on Facebook stating he would "drop 10 of you where you stand."[24]

Tenure[]

Higgins was sworn into the House of Representatives on January 3, 2017.[25]

He has said that he sleeps on an air mattress on the floor of his Capitol Hill office.[26][27] He works out and showers in the House gymnasium in the early morning.

Higgins voted with other Republicans in favor of the American Health Care Act of 2017, which would have repealed and replaced major portions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.[28]

In December 2017, Higgins voted with other Republicans in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.[29][30] He touted the Act's benefits, but the Congressional Budget Office projected that GDP growth would decline to 2.4% in 2019 as business investment and government purchases slowed.[31]

Committee assignments[]

Caucus memberships[]

  • Republican Study Committee[32]
  • Freedom Caucus[33]

Political positions[]

Abortion[]

Higgins is anti-abortion and has compared women choosing to terminate their pregnancy to the Holocaust.[34]

Guns[]

Higgins supports gun rights and opposes the regulation of firearms. In 2017 he stated "The modern hysteria over guns is another example of our weakened society. Guns weren't really regulated at all prior to the 60s in America. Throughout our history, prior to just 50 years ago, a child could purchase a gun from any seller, if daddy sent him with the money."[34]

In 2018, Higgins commented on his Facebook page about an OpEd article by retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens in the New York Times, which called for the repeal of the Second Amendment.[35] Higgins said, "Judge John Paul Stevens, Your Honor, whatever... put together any badass socialists you can muster. As their attorney, make sure they have their affairs in order. Molon Labe."[36]

Higgins opposes the carrying of weapons at demonstrations. In 2020 he posted on Facebook that he would "drop 10 of you where you stand", referring to potential armed demonstrators.[24] This inspired the Not Fucking Around Coalition to have an armed demonstration.

Immigration[]

In July 2018, House Democrats called for a floor vote that sought to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). House GOP leaders scrapped the latter and called for the House to vote on a resolution authored by Higgins and Kevin McCarthy to support ICE.[37]

LGBT rights[]

Higgins opposes same-sex marriage and believes that marriage is between a man and a woman. He says he believes that states should have the right to ban same-sex marriage, contrary to the Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges.[34]

National security[]

Higgins supported Trump's 2017 executive order to temporarily curtail travel from certain countries, saying, "The president's executive order for a short-term restriction on visa entries from seven countries that are known to foster terrorists, combined with a systematic review of our immigration and vetting procedure, is reasonable."[38]

Higgins has promoted himself and spoken at rallies by anti-government militia groups. But when informed that a black militia group protesting police brutality might show up at a protest, he suggested on Facebook in September 2020 that he would shoot them ("drop any 10 of you where you stand"). He included a picture of black militia members at a protest. Facebook removed the post per its policy to remove content that "incites or facilitates serious violence".[39]

Texas v. Pennsylvania[]

In December 2020, Higgins was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated incumbent Donald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.

Auschwitz video[]

In early July 2017, Higgins posted a five-minute video on YouTube from Auschwitz concentration camp, including a section from within one of the gas chambers. He said, "This is why homeland security must be squared away, why our military must be invincible".[40] This video was widely condemned as inappropriate, including by the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, whose spokesman wrote in a Twitter post that "the building should not be used as a stage".[41][42] Higgins later removed the video and issued an apology.[43][40]

Personal life[]

Higgins has been married four times. Higgins married Eloisa Rovati. They had a daughter together, who died a few months after she was born. Higgins and his wife divorced. She later died in an automobile crash.[4] Higgins then married Rosemary "Stormy" Rothkamm-Hambrice. He adopted her child from a previous marriage, and they had two more children together.[44] They divorced in 1999.[3][45][46] Higgins's third wife was Kara Seymour. They also divorced, and Higgins lives in Port Barre, Louisiana, with his fourth wife, Becca.[3]

Higgins's ex-wife Rosemary "Stormy" Rothkamm-Hambrice, then living in Mississippi, filed suit against him the day after the 2016 election for unpaid child support of more than $140,000, including interest on overdue payments.[45][47] Higgins said that he sought reduced payments in 2005 after changing careers to law enforcement, but the issue was never settled. The Daily Advertiser reported: "Calls about the case made by this newspaper in September, first to the Texas Attorney General's Office, then to Louisiana courts, brought similar responses from both places: Clay Higgins was not in trouble with the courts in either state over the child support payments."[44]

In July 2021, Higgins stated that he had been infected with COVID-19 for the second time.[48]

In August 2021, Clay Higgins challenged a critic from Alaska to a physical fight in a ring, stating that he would be in Alaska in 2022; the challenge was accepted. [49]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Shaq, Clay Higgins among nearly 50 Lafayette reserve deputies decommissioned by city marshal". The Advocate. May 24, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c Cook, Lanie Lee (May 13, 2015). "St. Landry deputy finds new meaning, viral fame in his role of no-nonsense sheriff's spokesman". The Advocate. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Georges Media. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Stickney, Ken (September 16, 2016). "Higgins: God led him to challenge Angelle". Jackson Sun. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c Holley, Peter (May 6, 2015). "Meet the 'Cajun John Wayne,' the deputy whose meme-worthy videos terrify criminals". Washington Post. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  5. ^ "Clay Higgins", House of Representatives
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b "Clay Higgins resigned from OPD in 2007 on cusp of major disciplinary measures". The Independent. September 29, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  7. ^ "Meet the man hailed as the "John Wayne" of Cajun country". CBS News. New York City: CBS Broadcasting. September 3, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Stickney, Ken (December 16, 2016). "Higgins carves unlikely path to Capitol". The Daily Advertiser. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b "UPDATE: Sheriff issues expanded statement; Clay Higgins leaves the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office". KATC. February 29, 2016. Archived from the original on December 24, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  10. ^ Dickerson, Seth (May 18, 2016). "Clay Higgins announces run for congress". The Daily Advertiser. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  11. ^ Ng, Alfred (February 29, 2016). "La. officer quits because he can't make 'demeaning' comments". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  12. ^ "UPDATE: Sheriff issues expanded statement; Clay Higgins leaves the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office". Archived from the original on December 24, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  13. ^ "Clay Higgins' Departure from the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Department" (PDF). St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b Kopplin, Zack (October 2, 2016). "Uniform misconduct: Inside the rise and possible fall of "The Cajun John Wayne," GOP congressional candidate Clay Higgins". Salon.
  15. ^ Dickerson, Seth (March 17, 2016). "Higgins sworn in as reserve Lafayette deputy marshal". The Daily Advertiser. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  16. ^ "Who We Are: Reserve Deputy Program", East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, 2011. Quote: "Our Reserve Deputies are part time, non-salaried, fully-commissioned law enforcement officers. Reserve Deputies have the same responsibilities, the same duties, and receive the same level of training and, most importantly, they have the same authority as their regularly employed counterparts. Opportunities exist within the Reserve organization for individuals to serve in all areas of law enforcement."; accessed 30 April 2018
  17. ^ Chris Reed, "Captain Clay Higgins Awarded Prestigious Title From Kentucky Governor", HOT107.9 radio, 30 March 2016; accessed 30 April 2018
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Ballard, Mark (December 10, 2016). "Clay Higgins – Cajun John Wayne – defeats Scott Angelle in 3rd District congressional race". The Advocate. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  19. ^ "Clay Higgins announces run for Louisiana third congressional district seat". KATC. May 18, 2016. Archived from the original on May 20, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  20. ^ Ballard, Mark (December 3, 2016). "3rd Congressional District race pitting Scott Angelle against Clay Higgins seen as tossup". The Advocate. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  21. ^ "Candidate Inquiry". July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  22. ^ Hilburn, Greg (June 25, 2018). "Trump tweets: 'We want Clay!'". The News Star. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  23. ^ Stole, Bryn (July 20, 2018). "U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins avoids runoff, wins second term". The Advocate. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  24. ^ Jump up to: a b "Higgins facing criticism over social media post on rumors of armed militias in Lafayette". September 2, 2020.
  25. ^ Barfield Berry, Deborah (January 4, 2017). "New Louisiana lawmakers sworn in". USA Today. The Daily Advertiser. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
  26. ^ Stickney, Ken (August 2017). "Does Clay Higgins still sleep in his office?". The Daily Advertiser. Lafayette, Louisiana: Gannett Company. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  27. ^ Stickney, Ken (February 21, 2017). "Meet the Cajun congressman who sleeps on his office floor". The Shreveport Times. Shreveport, Louisiana: Gannett Company. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  28. ^ "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 256".
  29. ^ Almukhtar, Sarah (December 19, 2017). "How Each House Member Voted on the Tax Bill". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  30. ^ "GOP tax plan has Louisiana-specific benefits, senators say". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans, Louisiana: Advance Publications. December 21, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  31. ^ "An Update to the Economic Outlook: 2018 to 2028" (PDF). U.S. Congressional Budget Office.
  32. ^ "Membership". Republican Study Committee. December 6, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  33. ^ "Committees & Caucuses". Congressman Clay Higgins. December 13, 2012. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  34. ^ Jump up to: a b c Bess, Gabby (January 6, 2017). "An Incredibly Upsetting List of All the New Republican Congress Members". Broadly. Brooklyn, New York: Vice Media LLC. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  35. ^ Stevens, John Paul (March 27, 2018). "John Paul Stevens: Repeal the Second Amendment". The New York Times. New York City. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  36. ^ "Captain Clay Higgins". www.facebook.com. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  37. ^ Wong, Scott; Brufke, Julie Grace (July 16, 2018). "House GOP reverses, cancels vote on Dem bill to abolish ICE". The Hill. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  38. ^ Blake, Aaron (January 29, 2017). "Coffman, Gardner join Republicans against President Trump's travel ban; here's where the rest stand". Denver Post. Denver, Colorado: Digital First Media. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  39. ^ Hernandez, Salvador; Mimms, Sarah. "A Republican Member of Congress Threatened to Kill Armed Demonstrators In A Facebook Post". Buzzfeed News. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  40. ^ Jump up to: a b "Congressman apologies for video in gas chamber at Nazi concentration camp". The Guardian. Associated Press. July 6, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  41. ^ "US congressman condemned for Auschwitz gas chamber video". BBC. July 6, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  42. ^ "Auschwitz Memorial condemns congressman's gas chamber video". ABC News. July 5, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  43. ^ Elliott, Debbie (July 5, 2017). "Congressman Retracts Auschwitz Video And Apologizes, After Criticism". NPR. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  44. ^ Jump up to: a b Stickney, Ken (November 16, 2016). "Will dusty child support case hobble Higgins?". The Daily Advertiser. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  45. ^ Jump up to: a b Stickney, Ken (November 16, 2016). "Will dusty child support case hobble Higgins?". The Advertiser. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  46. ^ Ballard, Mark (December 8, 2016). "In newly released tape recordings, Higgins says winning election will help him pay $100K-plus in child support". The Advocate. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  47. ^ Ballard, Mark (November 11, 2016). "Clay Higgins, in runoff for 3rd District seat, faces child support lawsuit from former wife". The Advocate. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  48. ^ Stelloh, Tim; Caldwell, Leigh Ann; Talbot, Haley (July 25, 2021). "GOP congressman says he has Covid-19 for second time". Yahoo! News. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  49. ^ https://www.newsweek.com/clay-higgins-tells-man-who-called-him-traitor-over-2020-election-find-ring-fight-1621684

External links[]

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Charles Boustany 		Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Louisiana's 3rd congressional district
2017–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Josh Gottheimer 		United States representatives by seniority
267th 		Succeeded by
Trey Hollingsworth
  • v
  • t
Louisiana's delegation(s) to the 115th–present United States Congresses (ordered by seniority)
115th
Senate:
  • ▌B. Cassidy (R)
  • ▌J. N. Kennedy (R)
House:
  • ▌S. Scalise (R)
  • ▌C. Richmond (D)
  • ▌R. Abraham (R)
  • ▌G. Graves (R)
  • ▌C. Higgins (R)
  • ▌M. Johnson (R)
116th
Senate:
  • ▌B. Cassidy (R)
  • ▌J. N. Kennedy (R)
House:
  • ▌S. Scalise (R)
  • ▌C. Richmond (D)
  • ▌R. Abraham (R)
  • ▌G. Graves (R)
  • ▌C. Higgins (R)
  • ▌M. Johnson (R)
117th
Senate:
  • ▌B. Cassidy (R)
  • ▌J. N. Kennedy (R)
House:
Retrieved from ""