{
  "id": 7851366,
  "title": "House votes to hold Leon Black in contempt of Congress in Epstein probe",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/house-votes-to-hold-leon-black-in-contempt-of-congress-in-epstein",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-16T19:14:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "CBS News",
    "slug": "cbs-news",
    "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-votes-to-hold-leon-black-jeffrey-epstein-contempt-of-congress/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously voted to hold billionaire investor Leon Black in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with subpoenas related to the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The decision, made a day after the House Oversight Committee recommended the contempt action, sends the case to the Justice Department for potential prosecution. Black, a former business associate of Epstein, failed to appear before the committee on September 3 and provide requested nondisclosure agreements. He subsequently filed a lawsuit challenging the subpoenas in a federal court in Washington, D.C. House Republicans and Democrats alike praised the move as a step towards transparency and accountability in the federal government's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell criminal cases. Black's attorneys, however, denounced the action as \"outrageous\" and accused the House of rushing through the inquiry, demanding information about past business relationships and social connections over a 50-year career.",
  "summary": "The committee accused Black of defying subpoenas as part of its investigation into the late Jeffrey Epstein.",
  "key_points": [
    "U.S. House unanimously votes to hold Leon Black in contempt of Congress",
    "Black refused to comply with subpoenas related to Jeffrey Epstein investigation",
    "Case sent to Justice Department for potential prosecution"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/7851366.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CNBC World",
        "title": "House votes to hold Leon Black in contempt of Congress over Epstein subpoenas defiance",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/house-votes-to-hold-leon-black-in-contempt-of-congress-over-epstein",
        "published": "2026-09-16T18:41:42.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "PBS NewsHour",
        "title": "House votes to hold billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress over Epstein investigation",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/house-votes-to-hold-billionaire-leon-black-in-contempt-of-congress",
        "published": "2026-09-16T19:12:33.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC News",
        "title": "US House votes to hold billionaire Epstein associate Leon Black in contempt",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/us-house-votes-to-hold-billionaire-epstein-associate-leon-black-in",
        "published": "2026-09-16T19:19:47.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian US",
        "title": "House votes to hold Leon Black in contempt over Epstein subpoenas refusal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/house-votes-to-hold-leon-black-in-contempt-over-epstein-subpoenas",
        "published": "2026-09-16T19:33:35.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hill",
        "title": "House moves to hold Leon Black in contempt of Congress over Epstein interview",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/house-moves-to-hold-leon-black-in-contempt-of-congress-over-epstein",
        "published": "2026-09-16T20:01:15.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Euronews",
        "title": "US House votes for a third time to end the Iran war as conflict drags on",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/us-house-votes-for-a-third-time-to-end-the-iran-war-as-conflict-drags",
        "published": "2026-09-16T20:20:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NPR",
        "title": "House holds billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/house-holds-billionaire-leon-black-in-contempt-of-congress",
        "published": "2026-09-16T21:12:27.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}