House votes to hold Leon Black in contempt over Epstein investigation. Billionaire investor Leon Black, who co-founded private equity firm Apollo Global Management, was held in contempt by the US House for refusing to comply with a subpoena related to the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The House has referred the matter to the Department of Justice, which will decide whether to criminally prosecute Black.
Black, who had business ties to Epstein, did not comply with a subpoena ordering him to appear before the House Oversight Committee earlier this month and share documents related to Epstein. Lawyers for Black, who has sued over the summons, called the contempt move 'outrageous'. After passage of the measure holding Black in contempt, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said: 'No-one is above the law. We will continue to seek transparency for the American people and justice for survivors.'
The measure, which passed by unanimous consent, means the matter will be referred to the US justice department, which will decide whether to criminally prosecute Black. In a written statement, the committee's top Democrat, congressman Robert Garcia, called the contempt vote 'an important step towards justice and accountability'. The private equity tycoon walked out of voluntary testimony before the House Oversight Committee in June after he was asked about nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) he may have signed, lawmakers said at the time.
Black's lawyers have denounced the Oversight Committee's pursuit of the former head of a private equity firm as an abuse of congressional power. They said he 'had no knowledge of any of Epstein's heinous conduct.' The Committee has continued to insist on looking for information that does not exist, attorneys Susan Estrich and Aaron Cutler said in a statement. They called the action 'politically motivated' and have sued the committee and asked the Office of Congressional Conduct to open a probe into Comer's tactics.