The House of Representatives has voted unanimously to hold billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas issued as part of the House Oversight Committee's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The resolution followed a vote by the Oversight Committee, which advanced the contempt measure on a 41-0 vote.
Black failed to comply with a subpoena that required him to testify under oath at a closed-door deposition on September 3, and to provide nondisclosure agreements sought by the committee. These requests are part of the panel's ongoing probe into the government's handling of the investigations into Epstein.
Black, who maintained a social relationship with Epstein since the mid-1990s and paid him over $170 million for financial advice, had previously appeared voluntarily before the Oversight panel in June. However, he left that interview prematurely. Black has denied wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein's crimes.
Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the Oversight panel, stated that the contempt vote is a critical step in the committee's investigation, emphasizing that there is still significant work to be done to uncover what he described as a "massive cover-up."
Black's attorneys issued a statement calling the contempt resolution "outrageous" and vowing to fight it. They argued that the committee was seeking information that does not exist and attempting to question Black about every nondisclosure agreement he has ever signed, including those with business partners over his extensive career.
The contempt resolution will now be certified by House Speaker Mike Johnson and sent to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. The U.S. attorney's office has indicated it takes allegations of contempt of Congress seriously and will pursue cases where evidence supports such action.
This development could represent one of the few remaining prosecutions connected to Epstein, following previous statements from the Department of Justice suggesting no active investigations into Epstein's associates, while leaving the door open for future cases based on new evidence.