The House Oversight Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to hold billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress after he refused to testify under oath in the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein investigation, setting up a potential criminal prosecution.

Bipartisan Action Against Former Apollo CEO

Republicans and Democrats joined forces to recommend contempt charges after Black failed to appear for his scheduled September deposition and refused to produce nondisclosure agreements subpoenaed by the committee. The former Apollo Global Management chief executive instead filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the subpoenas. Committee Chairman James Comer declared that Black is hiding behind litigation to avoid accountability, while ranking Democrat Robert Garcia emphasized that subpoenas are not suggestions. The contempt recommendation now advances to the full House for a vote.

Black’s legal team fired back with a scathing statement calling the committee’s action a complete abomination. Attorneys Susan Estrich and Aaron Cutler accused Chairman Comer and Ranking Member Garcia of abusing their power and losing sight of the committee’s legislative purpose. They filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional Conduct alleging unethical tactics. The attorneys emphasized that Black never abused women, never engaged with minors, never participated in sex trafficking, and had no knowledge of Epstein’s criminal conduct.

Millions Paid to Convicted Sex Offender

Lawmakers allege Black funneled approximately one hundred eighty million dollars to Epstein through his private equity firm over multiple years. A 2021 independent review commissioned by Apollo Global Management confirmed that Black paid Epstein one hundred fifty-eight million dollars between 2012 and 2017 for tax and estate planning services. These payments continued years after Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Black stepped down from Apollo in 2021 amid public scrutiny over these financial ties to the convicted sex offender.

What This Means

The Epstein investigation represents one of the few bipartisan efforts in this Congress, with survivors testifying about their experiences in an alleged sex trafficking operation run by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Black previously appeared for a voluntary committee interview in June but refused to answer questions about his nondisclosure agreements. The committee accommodated his request to delay his deposition from July to September, but Black never showed. If the full House approves the contempt charge before breaking for the November midterm election, the Justice Department could pursue prosecution. Other prominent figures including Bill Clinton and Bill Gates have also been asked to participate in the probe.