The US House of Representatives has voted to hold billionaire investor Leon Black in contempt of Congress after he defied two subpoenas issued as part of a congressional investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The resolution passed by unanimous consent — without a formal recorded vote — and will now be referred to the Justice Department, which will determine whether to pursue criminal charges against Black.

Black, co-founder of the major private equity firm Apollo Global Management, had appeared voluntarily before the House Oversight Committee in June, acknowledging that he paid Epstein $158 million between 2012 and 2017 for tax and estate-planning services. However, that session ended abruptly after he declined to answer questions about nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) he may have signed. The committee subsequently issued two subpoenas — one demanding he produce those NDAs and another ordering an on-camera deposition under oath. The deposition, originally set for July, was rescheduled at Black's request to September 3, but he again failed to appear and did not fully comply with the document request. The Oversight Committee voted unanimously to recommend contempt the following day, with the full House acting swiftly thereafter.

Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer described the contempt measure as a straightforward matter of accountability.