{
  "id": 7897150,
  "title": "US House holds Epstein associate Leon Black in contempt",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/us-house-holds-epstein-associate-leon-black-in-contempt-7897150",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-16T23:32:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/09/17/us-house-holds-epstein-associate-leon-black-in-contempt"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a decisive move, the US House of Representatives held billionaire investor Leon Black in contempt of Congress on Wednesday for refusing to comply with subpoenas related to the investigation into the notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The resolution, adopted unanimously without a recorded vote, followed a recommendation from the House Oversight Committee. The matter will now be referred to the justice department, which will determine whether to pursue criminal charges against Black. House Oversight Committee Chairman Jamie Comer stated that Black defied two subpoenas and that the House would continue seeking transparency and justice for victims in the investigation of the federal government's handling of the Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell criminal cases. Black, co-founder of Apollo Global Management, missed a deposition on September 3 and did not fully comply with a separate subpoena requesting nondisclosure agreements. His legal team called the House action \"outrageous,\" accusing lawmakers of rushing the process and asserting their intention to continue challenging the subpoenas through legal means. Black had previously testified voluntarily before the committee in June, admitting to paying Epstein $158 million for tax and estate-planning advice but refusing to answer questions about certain nondisclosure agreements. This action has reignited scrutiny of prominent figures connected to Epstein, as lawmakers continue to pursue testimony and documents.",
  "summary": "The US House of Representatives has held billionaire investor Leon Black in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with subpoenas related to the investigation into the notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The resolution was adopted unanimously, and the matter will now be referred to the justice department to decide on potential criminal charges. Black, co-founder of Apollo Global Management, missed a deposition and did not comply with a separate subpoena seeking nondisclosure agreements. His lawyers have criticized the House action as \"outrageous\" and vowed to continue challenging the subpoenas in court. Black had previously appeared before the committee in June and acknowledged paying Epstein for tax and estate-planning advice, but declined to answer questions about nondisclosure agreements, leading lawmakers to demand further testimony and documents. Despite denying any wrongdoing, Black has consistently claimed he was unaware of Epstein's criminal activities. The scandal surrounding Epstein has persisted, with lawmakers investigating prominent individuals who had connections to the disgraced financier.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "US House holds Epstein associate Leon Black in contempt",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/us-house-holds-epstein-associate-leon-black-in-contempt",
        "published": "2026-09-16T22:31:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "US House holds Epstein associate Leon Black in contempt",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/us-house-holds-epstein-associate-leon-black-in-contempt-7900863",
        "published": "2026-09-16T23:32:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}