House Holds Billionaire Leon Black in Contempt Over Epstein Investigation

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously on Tuesday to hold billionaire investor Leon Black in contempt of Congress after he refused to comply with subpoenas issued during the congressional investigation into the late Jeffrey Epstein.

The measure was passed by unanimous consent, following a 41-0 vote by the House Oversight and Accountability Committee the previous day recommending the contempt citation. The referral now moves to the Department of Justice, which will determine whether to prosecute Black for his defiance.

Black, a former business associate of the convicted sex offender, failed to appear before the committee on Sept. 3 or produce nondisclosure agreements as requested. In response, he filed a lawsuit in D.C. federal court challenging the legality of the subpoenas.

Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the Oversight Committee, emphasized the gravity of the situation. “No one is above the law. Leon Black defied two subpoenas, and the U.S. House of Representatives acted swiftly to find him in contempt of Congress,” Comer said in a statement. “We will continue to seek transparency for the American people and justice for survivors in our investigation of the federal government’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell criminal cases.”

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the committee’s ranking member, described the vote as “an important step towards justice and accountability.”

Black’s legal team strongly opposed the action. Attorneys Susan Estrich and Aaron Cutler called the proceedings “outrageous” and accused the committee of rushing through each stage of the inquiry. They argued that the investigation was overreach, stating, “The Committee has continued to insist on looking for information that does not exist. They are looking to ask questions about every NDA Mr. Black ever signed including with business partners over his 50 year career and also with individuals who he never met. This is absurd.” The attorneys noted that investigators had even requested the names of individuals in Black’s social circle who were subject to NDAs.