A key House panel investigating law enforcement's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case has voted to hold the investor and hedge fund manager Leon Black in contempt of Congress after he did not appear for a deposition or turn over documents.
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee took the vote unanimously and across party lines on Sept. 15 as 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 that the Department of Justice released in February.
Comer said Black refused to comply with the committee's subpoenas to appear for a deposition before the committee, 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 before the vote. "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."
The committee's recommendation to hold Black in contempt will go to the full House for consideration. The House is in recess until after the November elections.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: House panel votes to hold Leon Black in contempt over Epstein subpoenas
