House holds billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress over Epstein investigation

The House has voted to hold billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress over his refusal to comply with subpoenas in the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. This move comes after Black defied the Oversight Committee's requests for him to appear and provide documents related to the probe. The resolution, approved without a formal vote, now leaves the decision to seek criminal prosecution to the Department of Justice.

Republicans and Democrats from the committee joined in a bipartisan effort to advance the resolution. Black's lawyers argue that the committee's pursuit of him is an abuse of congressional power and politically motivated, claiming he had no knowledge of Epstein's alleged misconduct. The investigation has involved several prominent figures, including Bill Clinton and Bill Gates, as part of the ongoing probe.

Black, co-founder of Apollo Global Management, paid Epstein $180 million in a relationship spanning several years, though Apollo's 2021 review stated the payments were for legitimate tax and estate planning services.