20-Year Mississippi Republican Voter Calls Out Hyde-Smith’s Vote Against Releasing the Epstein Files, Endorses Colom

Southaven businessman Mark Vines, who appears in Colom’s new ad, says Hyde-Smith lost his vote when she voted to block the release of the Epstein files

Vines: “If Cindy Hyde-Smith is not going to stand up to the the sexual abuse of young girls, she’s not going to stand up for Mississippi. That’s why I’m voting for Scott Colom”

District Attorney Colom: “This is not about politics. This is about morals. This is about right and wrong. Cindy Hyde-Smith was wrong when she voted against releasing those files, and she’s wrong for Mississippi”

District Attorney Colom: “Our junior sender is lying about my record and she won’t do a debate or town hall because she doesn’t want to answer for it”

Watch the full press conference here

Southaven, MS — Today, outside of Cindy Hyde-Smith’s Southaven office, U.S. Senate candidate and District Attorney Scott Colom and Mark Vines, a Southaven businessman who has voted Republican for 20 years, held a press conference about Hyde-Smith’s vote to block the release of the Epstein files. Vines, who is featured in the campaign’s new ad “Lost Her Way,” explained that because of her decision to protect pedophiles and predators, he will vote for Colom, a District Attorney with a proven track record of fighting for justice and protecting kids.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH/DOWNLOAD VIDEO OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE

“Those girls who suffered under Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplices deserve justice, but our junior senator cannot be trusted because she has repeatedly blocked justice and supported people that have blocked justice. This is not about politics. This is about morals. This is about right and wrong. Cindy Hyde-Smith was wrong when she voted against releasing those files, and she’s wrong for Mississippi,” said District Attorney Colom. “If you’re willing to betray victims of sex trafficking to protect the powerful, we can’t trust you to protect our interests in Mississippi. That’s why I’m running. I’m so proud to have Mark’s support and a lot of Republicans who are looking for a new direction and somebody that’s going to fight for what’s right for Mississippi.”

“Once I started to see that Cindy Hyde-Smith was fighting the very thing that I voiced concerns about, I started to look at alternatives because I wasn’t sitting at home on an issue like this,” said Vines. “If Cindy Hyde-Smith is not going to stand up to the the sexual abuse of young girls, she’s not going to stand up for Mississippi. That’s why I’m voting for Scott Colom.”

“Our junior sender is lying about my record and she won’t do a debate or town hall because she doesn’t want to answer for it. I’ve held more than 50 town halls. She hadn’t held a town hall in six years. She’s not answering voters’ questions. She calls security when reporters ask her questions,” District Attorney Colom added. “When she’s lying about me, remember how she refused to protect the victims of the Epstein predators.”

In September 2025, Hyde-Smith voted to kill a measure that would have forced the Justice Department to release the Epstein files. This August, she voted to confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General, and his Justice Department is now asking a federal appeals court to put off a judge’s orders on those records. While Colom has hosted more than 50 town halls across the state, Hyde-Smith has not held a public town hall in more than six years, so Colom and Vines are bringing the question to her door.

###

About Scott: Scott Colom is a seventh-generation Mississippian, proud husband and father of two, and district attorney who fights every day to keep Mississippians safe. Guided by his Christian faith, Scott has dedicated his life to serving his neighbors and keeping them safe from violent criminals. Now he’s running to lower costs for families, save our Mississippi hospitals, and bring good jobs home. Scott loves his state and will always put Mississippi first – and he’ll work with anyone, Republican or Democrat, to get things done for us.