The House Held Leon Black in Contempt of Congress Without a Single Objection. Apollo's Co-Founder Paid Epstein $158 Million After His Guilty Plea, Skipped Two Subpoenas and Sued the Committee Instead.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday held billionaire investor Leon Black in contempt of Congress for defying two subpoenas in the Oversight Committee's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, sending the matter to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. The resolution passed by unanimous consent, meaning no member of either party objected, one day after the Oversight Committee voted 41-0 to recommend the charge.

Black, the co-founder of private equity giant Apollo Global Management, was subpoenaed to produce nondisclosure agreements and to sit for a deposition. The deposition was originally set for July 16, then pushed to September 3 at Black's own request. He did not show up. Months earlier, in June, he had walked out of a voluntary closed-door interview with the panel after refusing to answer questions about the NDAs. Rather than comply, Black sued the committee in federal court challenging the validity of the subpoenas and asked the Office of Congressional Conduct to investigate the tactics of Chairman James Comer.

"No one is above the law. Leon Black defied two subpoenas," Comer, a Kentucky Republican, said after the vote, pledging that the committee would "continue to seek transparency" and justice for Epstein's survivors. Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the panel's top Democrat, called the referral "an important step towards justice and accountability." The bipartisan unanimity is unusual for a committee that has spent much of the year fighting over the scope of the Epstein inquiry, which has also sought testimony from Bill Clinton and Bill Gates.

Black's ties to Epstein are among the most extensive of anyone still living. A 2021 review commissioned by Apollo's board found that Black paid Epstein $158 million between 2012 and 2017 for what the firm described as "bona fide tax, estate planning and other related services." Every dollar of it came after Epstein's 2008 guilty plea in Florida to soliciting prostitution from a minor. Lawmakers have said the true total may have reached $180 million. Black stepped down from Apollo in 2021 as the payments became public. Emails released by the committee show Black confiding in Epstein about personal matters, including extramarital relationships that were themselves covered by nondisclosure agreements, which is why the committee wants the documents.

Black's lawyers, Susan Estrich and Aaron Cutler, called the contempt action "outrageous" and said the committee "has continued to insist on looking for information that does not exist." They argued the panel was improperly demanding details about NDAs spanning Black's 50-year business career and characterized the effort as politically motivated. Black has said he "deeply" regrets his involvement with Epstein, has not been accused of wrongdoing by law enforcement, and denies any knowledge of or participation in Epstein's crimes. Epstein died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

A criminal contempt referral does not guarantee a prosecution. Under federal law the referral goes to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, and the Justice Department, now led by Attorney General Todd Blanche, has discretion over whether to bring a case. Contempt of Congress is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. Recent referrals have produced mixed results: Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro were convicted and served time, while the department declined to charge others. Black's pending civil suit against the committee could also complicate any prosecution, since a court ruling on the subpoenas' validity would bear directly on whether his refusal was lawful.