House holds Leon Black in contempt over Epstein subpoenas

September 17, 2026 3oliver

Updated Sept. 16, 2026, 11:47 p.m. ET

The House of Representatives decided unanimously to hold hedge fund manager Leon Black in contempt of Congress after he did not appear for a deposition or turn over documents to lawmakers investigating the Jeffrey Epstein case.

The full House made the dramatic move a day after the Republican-led House Oversight Committee took a similar vote unanimously and across party lines on Sept. 15. Epstein survivors applauded Chairman James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, for his willingness to force the issue.

“No one is above the law,” Comer said. “Mr. Black will be treated the same as anyone else in this investigation, and his actions have consequences.”

Black founded the hedge fund Apollo Global Management but stepped down in 2021 after it became public that he paid Epstein $158 million for tax and estate planning. He was mentioned multiple times in the Epstein files released by the Department of Justice in February.

Comer said Black refused to comply with the committee’s subpoenas to appear for a deposition, and a second one requiring him to turn over all nondisclosure agreements to which he was a party and ones that mention Epstein or Epstein’s convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.

“Subpoenas are not suggestions,” Comer said. “They carry the force of law and require full compliance. Mr. Black’s testimony is crucial to our investigation because he maintained a close personal relationship with Epstein for years during the time when Epstein was engaged in sex trafficking.”

Black has said in the past that he had a strictly professional relationship with Epstein. Additionally, Black’s lawyer vehemently denied allegations against him after he was mentioned in the Epstein files.

USA TODAY reached out separately to Black’s lawyer for comment.

A group of more than a dozen Epstein survivors including Annie Farmer and Dani Bensky issued a statement praising Comer for “showing real resolve” and “sending a clear message that wealth and influence do not put anyone beyond the reach of congressional oversight.”