Billionaire Mogul Refused to Comply with House Panel Subpoenas
September 17, 2026—The House approved a resolution by unanimous consent to hold billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with subpoenas by a committee investigating Jeffrey Epstein.If both chambers of Congress pass a contempt resolution, it goes to the Justice Department as a criminal referral.
Who Is Leon Black?
Leon Black is an American billionaire investor who became one of the most powerful figures on Wall Street. He co-founded Apollo Global Management, a private equity firm that now has $1.05 trillion in assets under management.
Black made most of his money during economic recessions, often through leveraged buyouts and taking struggling companies into bankruptcy.
He earned the reputation as a feared and ruthless investor, according to London-based Private Equity Insights. In 2021, he stepped down as CEO and chairman from Apollo following investigations into his ties with Epstein.
“Who bears the risk in situations where Black is involved is an interesting question. A private equity takeover can involve deep payroll cuts, massive asset sell-offs, and taking on dangerous levels of debt. The process can mortally wound a company and trigger zero-sum fights over the corpse…. In this way, yes, Apollo is one of the least risky bets out there. But widen the lens, and you’ll find that Apollo and Black have spent decades skating on the edges of other people’s catastrophes,” Private Equity Insights said.
Investigated But Not Indicted
Black appears in thousands of searchable files related to Epstein. The private equity investor has previously faced accusations and legal entanglements, but not an indictment for criminal conduct. According to the Justice Department’s Epstein files, at least one U.S. Attorney’s Office has investigated Black over allegations made by Epstein’s victims.
House Investigation of Epstein’s Ties
It was Black’s close ties with Epstein and his financial gifts to the sex trafficker of at least $158 million that earned him invitations to testify to Congress. In June, Black appeared before the House panel in closed-door proceedings, then walked out
The House Oversight Committee said Black has refused to comply with its request for all non-disclosure agreementsand confidentiality agreements with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
In response, Black through his lawyers sued the committee in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, challenging the committee’s legal right to the information.
House Contempt Resolution
This week, the House had the last word. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Oversight Committee, sponsored the contempt of Congress resolution, H.Res. 1543. The committee is investigating Epstein’s financial ties and how the federal government failed to hold Epstein accountable for crimes over many years. Earlier this month, Comer forecast what was to come.
“I would hold him in contempt right now. Of all the powerful billionaires and political people we brought in for interviews and to give depositions, this is the first time anyone has filed suit,” Comer said.
