House oversight committee moves to hold Leon Black in contempt

Cam Kettles, Bloomberg News on Sep 11, 2026

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WASHINGTON — The House Oversight Committee took a step toward holding billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress after he declined to comply with House subpoenas over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Black, the co-founder of Apollo Global Management, failed to appear before the committee on Sept. 3 and filed a lawsuit seeking to block the subpoenas. He said that Comer and the panel cannot compel him to provide testimony about his ties to Epstein or nondisclosure agreements Black made with women. Black told the committee in June that he had no knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s crimes.

Committee Chairman James Comer and Rep. Robert Garcia, the panel’s top Democrat from California, expressed support for contempt proceedings, following Black’s absence at the hearing.

Comer announced a hearing for Tuesday to consider a resolution finding Black in contempt of Congress, writing in a Friday statement that Black has “chosen to hide behind litigation by suing me and the Committee in an attempt to obstruct our investigation.”

If the full House votes to hold Black in contempt, the issue would be referred to the Justice Department for review by a grand jury and possible prosecution. If convicted, he could face prison time and financial penalties.