House votes to hold Leon Black in contempt over Epstein investigation

Billionaire investor Leon Black was held in contempt by the House after defying two subpoenas tied to the Epstein probe. The case now goes to the DOJ.

Billionaire Leon Black held in contempt for defying Epstein subpoenas

The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to hold billionaire investor Leon Black in contempt of Congress, NPR National reports, after he refused to comply with two congressional subpoenas tied to the House Oversight Committee's investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

It marks the first time the committee has held a witness in contempt during the Epstein inquiry. The vote was bipartisan.

Black had appeared voluntarily for a closed-door interview in June but walked out before it concluded. Lawmakers said he declined to answer questions about nondisclosure agreements he may have signed — including ones potentially involving survivors of Epstein's abuse. The committee subsequently subpoenaed him to return for a sworn deposition and to hand over any such agreements. Instead, Black filed a lawsuit against the committee and its chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., alleging they had overstepped their authority.

Addressing the committee Tuesday, Comer said Black had "defied Congress."

"Mr. Black is hiding behind litigation to delay having to provide answers to the American people," Comer said. "No one is above the law."

Black's attorneys, Susan Estrich and Aaron Cutler, called the contempt resolution "politically motivated and completely retaliatory," saying their client had cooperated by appearing for the initial transcribed interview. "This [is] an outrageous action that ignores the facts and the truth about Mr. Black," they said in a joint statement.

The contempt resolution will now be transmitted to the Department of Justice, which will decide whether to pursue criminal charges against Black.

Business ties to Epstein after his 2008 conviction

Black is a co-founder of the private equity firm Apollo Global Management. His name appears in the Justice Department's Epstein files thousands of times — though the committee has noted that appearing in those files does not necessarily indicate criminal wrongdoing.

Between 2013 and 2017, Black paid Epstein millions of dollars, a period that followed Epstein's 2008 guilty plea to prostitution charges involving a minor. During his June appearance before the committee, Black delivered a written statement explaining that he paid Epstein more than $100 million for tax and estate planning services, work he said saved him "billions of dollars." Black stepped down from the top position at Apollo in 2021 after the payments became public knowledge. He has denied any wrongdoing in connection with his relationship with Epstein.

A group of Epstein survivors signed a statement commending Comer for the contempt action.

"By moving to hold Leon Black in contempt, Chairman Comer is sending a clear message that wealth and influence do not put anyone beyond the reach of congressional oversight," the survivors said. They are also calling on the committee to hear testimony from Alan Dershowitz, Epstein's former attorney, and from Attorney General Todd Blanche, who oversaw the release of the Epstein files.

Contempt prosecutions rare but not unprecedented

Prosecuting individuals held in contempt of Congress is uncommon, but it has occurred. During the Biden administration, former Trump advisers Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro each served four-month prison sentences after refusing to cooperate with the House select committee's investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Black's case follows a pattern of resistance the Epstein committee has encountered. In January, the committee voted to recommend contempt charges against former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who had argued they knew little about Epstein and had already shared what they knew. That contempt vote never reached the House floor; the Clintons ultimately relented and appeared for recorded depositions.

As the investigation moves into its second year, 19 individuals have appeared before the committee. Among them: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Bill Gates, former Attorney General Pam Bondi, Epstein's former accountant Richard Kahn, and former attorney Darren Indyke.

On Wednesday, alongside the contempt vote, Comer introduced legislation that would allow Epstein survivors to share accounts of their abuse even if they had previously signed nondisclosure agreements.

Just before the resolution passed, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the committee's lead Democrat, said the investigation is far from over.

"What I just want folks to know is this is an important step towards justice, but there is just an enormous amount of work to be done," Garcia said.

Source: NPR National