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The House acted one day after the Oversight Committee advanced the contempt resolution on a 41-0 bipartisan vote with both Republicans and Democrats uniting behind the measure the committee’s report stated. Leon Black the co-founder of Apollo Global Management had refused to appear for a scheduled deposition on September 3 and produced only one of multiple nondisclosure agreements sought by investigators according to a statement from Chairman James Comer. The committee had accommodated an earlier request to delay the deposition yet Black instead filed a lawsuit challenging the subpoenas’ validity Comer noted in his remarks.
Black’s extensive financial ties to Epstein formed the core of the committee’s interest with a review commissioned by Apollo Global Management determining that he paid the convicted sex offender at least 158 million dollars for tax and estate planning services between 2012 and 2017 after Epstein had become a registered sex offender the Dechert law firm report found. Black told committee members during a voluntary transcribed interview in June 2026 that he first met Epstein in the 1990s but did not begin compensating him until 2013 while insisting the payments covered legitimate professional advice Reuters reported. He walked out of that session when questioning turned to nondisclosure agreements he had signed with various women some linked to Epstein according to accounts from multiple committee members.
The Oversight Committee’s broader probe has called at least 19 high-profile witnesses many of them never previously questioned about connections to Epstein in what CNN described as an effort to examine influence networks around the disgraced financier and Ghislaine Maxwell. Black’s legal team responded to the contempt vote by asserting that he never forced any woman to sign any nondisclosure agreement while accusing the panel of exceeding its legislative purpose and abusing its power in a statement relayed by CBS News. Comer countered that subpoenas carry the force of law and that no one is above the law as he pledged to continue pursuing transparency for survivors and the public in remarks distributed by the committee.
Ranking Member Robert Garcia a California Democrat joined in the unanimous committee action emphasizing that Black gave over 180 million dollars to Epstein across their relationship and failed to provide critical information despite two subpoenas a Democratic oversight release stated. Garcia had called for the contempt finding after Black’s June interview and subsequent noncompliance highlighting the need for justice for Epstein’s survivors in his prepared comments. The contempt citation now heads to the Justice Department which must decide whether to pursue criminal charges that could bring up to one year in prison and a 100000 dollar fine Bloomberg reported.
Black has consistently denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s criminal activities maintaining in his June opening statement that he never abused women never engaged in sex trafficking and never paid Epstein for access to women according to a transcript reviewed by The New York Times. A 2023 settlement saw Black pay 62.5 million dollars to the US Virgin Islands to resolve any potential claims tied to Epstein-related probes Reuters noted in its coverage of his testimony. The billionaire stepped down from executive roles at Apollo Global Management in 2021 amid the initial fallout from revelations about his payments to Epstein following the Dechert review’s conclusions.
The House action refocuses attention on the Trump administration’s handling of Epstein investigative materials at a time when lawmakers are preparing to depart Washington for midterm campaigning The New York Times assessment found. Black’s lawsuit against Comer and the committee remains pending in federal court where he has argued the subpoenas represent a political stunt rather than legitimate oversight Forbes reported. Committee investigators continue to seek the full set of nondisclosure agreements to determine any potential Epstein involvement in their drafting or related payments according to Comer’s Tuesday statement.
