US House votes to hold billionaire Epstein associate Leon Black in contempt

What the report says

The US House of Representatives has voted to hold billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress after he declined to comply with a subpoena connected to the ongoing investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to BBC World News. Black, who had business ties to Epstein, was ordered to appear before the House Oversight Committee and provide documents, including records tied to nondisclosure agreements, but did not do so. The matter now goes to the US Justice Department, which will decide whether to pursue criminal charges.

BBC reports that the contempt vote passed by unanimous consent. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said the move was meant to support transparency and justice for survivors, while committee Democrats framed it as a step toward accountability. Black’s lawyers called the action improper and said it disregarded pending litigation challenging the committee’s summons. They also pointed to an ethics complaint against Comer.

Black had previously left voluntary testimony before the committee in June after lawmakers questioned him about NDAs. He co-founded Apollo Global Management and stepped away from the firm in 2021 amid scrutiny over his ties to Epstein. Black has denied wrongdoing and has said he hired Epstein as a wealth adviser for legitimate reasons, adding that he did not know about Epstein’s crimes until 2019.