House Panel Votes to Recommend Contempt for Leon Black in Epstein Probe

The House Oversight Committee voted unanimously 41-0 to recommend holding Leon Black in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas in its Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Black paid Epstein more than $150 million for tax and estate planning. He ended a voluntary spring interview short of nondisclosure questions, then skipped July 16 and September 3 depositions. Chair James Comer told reporters outside the Capitol Hill Club: "We've tried every way in the world to get him in...and he refused to show," adding "We're going to treat him just like we've treated everyone else that defied a lawful congressional subpoena." What is contested: Democrats on the committee say the payments were "used to traffic women and children," per Daily Mail. Black denies wrongdoing, knowledge of Epstein's crimes, or paying for access to women; he is suing the committee as exceeding its authority and his lawyers call the contempt effort retaliatory. Daily Mail reports he paid more than $180 million total and appears in the Epstein Files more than 300 times. Ranking Democrat Robert Garcia said Todd Blanche should "do his job and get a criminal conviction out of Leon Black." If the full House approves, the matter would be referred to the U.S. Attorney's office in Washington, D.C., led by Jeanine Pirro. Blanche dismissed Epstein prosecution prospects in a February CNN interview while Deputy Attorney General. In January the committee advanced contempt resolutions against Bill and Hillary Clinton; nine Democrats opposed contempt for Bill Clinton and three for Hillary Clinton.