House votes to hold Leon Black in contempt over Epstein subpoenas refusal

The US House of Representatives has voted to hold billionaire investor Leon Black in contempt of Congress. This decision was made due to his refusal to comply with subpoenas issued by the House oversight committee as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. According to CBS News, the House Oversight Committee voted 41-0 to recommend holding him in contempt before the full House voted unanimously.

Leon Black, who had business ties to Epstein, declined to appear and provide documents related to the convicted sex offender. The subpoenas required him to appear before the committee on September 3 and produce nondisclosure agreements. In response, Black filed a lawsuit in D.C. federal court challenging the validity of the subpoenas.

The matter now heads to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. The committee's chairman, GOP Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, stated that the vote was "an important step towards justice and accountability." In contrast, attorneys for Black called the action "outrageous" and said the House had "rushed through every stage of this inquiry."

Brief written by urgent.news from The Guardian US, BBC News, CBS News, PBS NewsHour, CNBC — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.