# House holds billionaire Leon Black in contempt over Epstein probe

> The Apollo co-founder defied a subpoena to testify about his ties to the convicted sex offender.
- Title: House holds billionaire Leon Black in contempt over Epstein…
- Summary: The Apollo co-founder defied a subpoena to testify about his ties to the convicted sex offender. Leon Black faces potential criminal prosecution for refusing…
- Keywords: leon black, jeffrey epstein, us house of representatives, contempt of congress, house oversight committee, james comer, robert garcia, apollo global management, subpoena, sex trafficking, news, world
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62l8g8qlr0ko
- Published: 2026-09-16T19:19:47.602+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: leon black, jeffrey epstein, us house of representatives, contempt of congress, house oversight committee, james comer, robert garcia, apollo global management, subpoena, sex trafficking, news, world
## Black held in contempt
The House voted to hold billionaire Leon Black in contempt for defying a subpoena related to Jeffrey Epstein. He refused to appear before the Oversight Committee.

> No-one is above the law. We will continue to seek transparency for the American people and justice for survivors.
## Black's lawyers call it outrageous
Black's legal team said the contempt vote ignores active litigation challenging the committee's actions. They also cited an ethics complaint against Chairman Comer.
## Justice Department gets the case
The measure passed by unanimous consent. The matter now goes to the Justice Department, which will decide whether to criminally prosecute Black.
## He walked out in June
Black left voluntary testimony before the committee in June after being asked about nondisclosure agreements. The subpoenas were issued after he walked out.
## Black left Apollo over Epstein ties
The private equity tycoon left Apollo Global Management in 2021 amid scrutiny over his Epstein connections. He has denied any wrongdoing.
## Black paid Epstein $158 million
Black told lawmakers he hired Epstein as a wealth adviser and paid him $158 million for legitimate reasons. He says he didn't know about Epstein's crimes until 2019.
## Key takeaway

Leon Black faces potential criminal prosecution for refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.