House Oversight to weigh contempt resolution against Leon Black

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is scheduled to consider a resolution Tuesday recommending that the full House find Leon David Black in contempt of Congress after the committee says he failed to appear for a subpoenaed deposition and withheld requested documents.

The full-committee markup is set for 4 p.m. ET on September 15, 2026, in Room 2154 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The official House calendar describes the matter as a resolution recommending that the House find Black in contempt for refusing to comply with subpoenas issued by the committee.

What the committee says happened

According to the Oversight Committee, Chairman James Comer issued two subpoenas requiring Black to produce nondisclosure agreements and appear for a deposition. The committee says Black did not appear for the deposition scheduled for September 3, after the panel accommodated a request to delay the proceeding.

The committee also says Black withheld the subpoenaed nondisclosure agreements and filed a lawsuit against Comer and the panel. The committee says its investigation concerns how the federal government handled crimes connected to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as Epstein’s relationships with influential people and his efforts to avoid scrutiny.

The committee has said Black had an extensive personal and financial relationship with Epstein. The Associated Press reported that a 2021 review commissioned by Apollo Global Management found Black paid Epstein $158 million from 2012 to 2017, after Epstein had become a registered sex offender. The review described the payments as being for tax, estate-planning and related services. Black has said he paid Epstein for legitimate wealth-management work and regrets employing him.

Black disputes Congress’ authority

Black’s lawsuit challenges the subpoenas and argues that they exceed the committee’s congressional authority. His legal position is that the requests seek private information with no legitimate connection to the panel’s legislative purpose, including nondisclosure agreements involving people who have no known public connection to Epstein, according to CBS News.

The lawsuit means the dispute is not only about whether documents were produced. It also raises questions about the limits of congressional investigations, the scope of the committee’s stated legislative purpose and whether court proceedings could affect enforcement or timing.

A committee markup is not a final contempt finding

Tuesday’s proceeding would be a committee action on a recommendation. It would not itself mean that the House has found Black in contempt.

If the committee approves the resolution, the full House would still need to consider and approve it. Only after House action could the matter potentially be referred to the Justice Department for consideration. A referral would not automatically result in criminal charges, and no prosecution should be presumed unless separately announced.

What to watch next

The immediate event is the Oversight Committee markup at 4 p.m. ET Tuesday. The next questions are whether the committee advances the resolution, whether House leaders schedule a floor vote and how Black’s lawsuit develops.

The outcome could affect how Congress pursues testimony and private records in the Epstein investigation. For now, the procedural status is limited: the committee is scheduled to weigh a contempt recommendation, while the House has not yet made a final finding.

Sources

• House Oversight markup announcement
• U.S. House Committee Repository markup record
• Associated Press
• Cbsnews