US House votes to hold Leon Black in contempt for defying subpoena

The US House of Representatives voted to hold billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress for not complying with a subpoena related to the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Black, who had business ties to Epstein, failed to appear before the House Oversight Committee and provide documents requested earlier this month. Black's legal team, which has filed a lawsuit regarding the subpoena, described the contempt vote as "outrageous." Following the House's decision, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer stated, "No-one is above the law. We will continue to seek transparency for the American people and justice for survivors." Black's lawyers criticized the House's action, claiming it disregards ongoing litigation challenging the Committee's authority and an ethics complaint against Chairman Comer. The measure passed by unanimous consent, and the matter will be referred to the US Justice Department for potential criminal prosecution. Congressman Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, called the contempt vote "an important step towards justice and accountability," emphasizing the need to center survivors in the pursuit of justice. Black had previously left a voluntary testimony session in June when questioned about nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) he may have signed. He departed from Apollo Global Management, which he co-founded, in 2021 amid scrutiny over his connections to Epstein. Black has denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, stating that he hired Epstein as a wealth management adviser and provided him with $158 million for legitimate reasons. He claims he was unaware of Epstein's criminal activities until Epstein was charged with sex trafficking in July 2019.