House votes to hold Leon Black in contempt of Congress over Epstein-related subpoena defiance

The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to hold billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress for his refusal to comply with subpoenas issued to him related to a committee's ongoing investigation of the notorious late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The vote by unanimous consent sets the stage for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to certify the matter to refer Black's conduct to the Department of Justice for possible criminal prosecution.

It came a day after the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, in a 41-0 vote, passed a resolution recommending the full House hold the former Apollo Global Management CEO in contempt.

It is not clear whether the DOJ would prosecute Black.

Defendants convicted of contempt of Congress face a possible sentence of not less than one month and not more than 12 months in prison.

The contempt action stems from Black's failure to appear for a transcribed deposition by the committee on Sept. 3 after it issued him a subpoena for that appearance, and his failure to comply fully with a separate subpoena seeking copies of nondisclosure agreements he has been party to.

Black sued the committee and its chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., on Sept. 3, seeking to block those subpoenas. That lawsuit is pending in U.S. District Court in Washington.

"The subpoenas are invalid to the extent they exceed [the committee's] delegated authority in seeking private information that bears no legitimate connection to [its] legislative purpose," the suit says.

The civil complaint says the subpoenas issued by the panel "would also expose women who value their privacy, who have no known or public connection to Epstein, who bargained for confidentiality and have refused to release it, and who have no ability to protect themselves and their privacy before the Committee."

Black's attorneys on Tuesday called the contempt resolution passed by the Oversight Committee "a complete abomination."

"This is retaliation — plain and simple," Black's attorneys said in a statement. "We have the constitutional right to sue Chairman Comer and the Committee because the subpoenas issued were illegitimate, illegal and a textbook abuse of power designed to bully and destroy legal protections of private citizens."

Black has not been charged with any wrongdoing in connection with his dealings with Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 after being charged with child sex trafficking.

But he stepped down as Apollo's chief executive officer in March 2021, two months after the firm disclosed that Black had paid Epstein $158 million for tax and estate planning advice from 2012 through 2017.

Black, who has said Epstein's advice led to significant savings for him, knew at the time that Epstein had pleaded guilty in Florida state court in 2008 to two prostitution-related charges, among them soliciting prostitution from an underage girl.