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House panel moves toward contempt finding against Leon Black
The House Oversight Committee recommended that the full chamber pursue contempt proceedings against the billionaire over subpoenas tied to its Jeffrey Epstein investigation. NBC News reported the vote was unanimous.
The House Oversight Committee voted Tuesday to recommend that the full House hold billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with subpoenas linked to its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, NBC News reported. The bipartisan vote was 41-0.
According to the outlet, Black had voluntarily appeared for a closed-door transcribed interview in late June but left before it ended. Lawmakers said he was not answering their questions, and the committee later issued subpoenas seeking additional information.
NBC News said Black also failed to appear for a later deposition scheduled by the committee and then sued in an effort to block subpoenas covering both his appearance and nondisclosure agreements connected to Epstein.
Ahead of the vote called by committee chair James Comer, Black’s attorneys, Susan Estrich and Aaron Cutler, described the committee’s move as a complete abomination and argued, in a statement cited by NBC News, that it was retaliation. They also said they had a constitutional right to sue Comer and the committee because, in their view, the subpoenas were illegitimate, illegal and an abuse of power.
Black is a co-founder and former head of Apollo Global Management. In January 2021, he said he would step down as CEO after an internal review found that he had paid Epstein $158 million for tax and estate planning advice and related services between 2012 and 2017. That review also concluded that Black was not involved in Epstein’s criminal conduct, NBC News reported.
Black has said he did not engage in wrongdoing and deeply regrets his association with Epstein. NBC News added that law enforcement has not accused him of any crime and that he has denied involvement in, or knowledge of, Epstein’s illegal activity.
After the committee recommendation, the next step would be a vote by the full House, though that is not guaranteed. NBC News reported that Comer said he expects the chamber to take up the resolution on Thursday. The panel’s top Democrat, Robert Garcia, said the day was important for justice and that lawmakers would work in a bipartisan way to secure Black’s testimony and press ahead over the two subpoenas.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
