{
  "id": 7856570,
  "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",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-16T19:33:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian US",
    "slug": "the-guardian-us",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/16/leon-black-contempt-congress-epstein"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "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.\n\nLeon 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.\n\nThe 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.\"",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "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": "CBS News",
        "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",
        "published": "2026-09-16T19:14:35.000Z"
      },
      {
        "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 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."
}