House holds Leon Black in contempt over Epstein subpoenas

The House on Wednesday held billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

The House passed the contempt measure by unanimous consent, without a recorded roll call.

The House Oversight Committee voted 41-0 the day before to recommend holding Black in contempt.

Black did not appear for a committee deposition scheduled for Sept. 3.

The Oversight Committee issued subpoenas requiring a deposition and production of nondisclosure agreements.

Black left a June voluntary transcribed interview after lawmakers asked about nondisclosure agreements.

Black sued the House Oversight Committee seeking to block the subpoenas.

The contempt citation is referred to the Justice Department for possible prosecution.

Speaker Mike Johnson must certify the resolution before it goes to the Justice Department.

A Justice Department spokesperson said the department takes allegations of contempt of Congress seriously.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said it will review the referral.

A Justice Department spokesperson said the department will follow additional investigative leads relating to Jeffrey Epstein.

Rep. James Comer said no one is above the law.

Comer said Leon Black defied two subpoenas.

Comer said the House acted swiftly to find Black in contempt of Congress.

Comer said the committee will keep seeking transparency for the public and justice for survivors in the Epstein and Maxwell cases.

Rep. Robert Garcia called the vote an important step toward justice and accountability.

Garcia said the Epstein investigation is just getting started.

Black's attorneys called the House action an outrageous move that ignores the facts about Black.

Black's attorneys said the House rushed through every stage of the inquiry.

Black's attorneys said the House held him in contempt without regard to active litigation and an ethics complaint against Chairman Comer.

Black's attorneys said the committee is looking for information that does not exist.

Black's attorneys said the committee wants every NDA Black signed, including with business partners over a 50-year career and people he never met.

Black's attorneys said the committee asked him to name people in his social circle who have NDAs.

Black's legal team said Black never forced any woman to sign any NDA.

Black's lawyers said he gave the committee the only confidentiality agreement Jeffrey Epstein knew about.

Black's lawyers said a confidential ethics complaint will show Chairman Comer violated House rules.

Black's lawyers said their lawsuit shows the committee and Comer abused congressional power and broke the law.

Black co-founded Apollo Global Management.

A 2021 Apollo review found Black paid Epstein $158 million from 2012 to 2017 for tax and estate planning.

Black told the committee Epstein's tax work saved him billions of dollars.

The payments came after Epstein's 2008 guilty plea on prostitution charges involving a minor.

Black said he began paying Epstein for wealth management advice in 2013.

Black stepped down from Apollo in 2021 after the Epstein payments became public.

Black has denied wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein's crimes.

Black has not been charged by law enforcement in connection with his dealings with Epstein.

Black has said he regrets employing Epstein.

Epstein died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Black's name appears in the Justice Department's Epstein files thousands of times.

Epstein survivors said holding Black in contempt shows that wealth and influence do not put anyone beyond congressional oversight.

Black's lawsuit says the subpoenas exceed the committee's authority by seeking private information with no legitimate legislative connection.

Black's lawyers said he never abused a woman, was never with an underage woman, never engaged in sex trafficking, never paid Epstein for access to women, and was never blackmailed.

Garcia said the committee will continue to center survivors in the fight to hold those responsible.

Black's lawyers said he cooperated by appearing voluntarily for a transcribed interview.