Key facts
- House oversight committee chairman James Comer threatened Leon Black with contempt.
- The threat is over Black's alleged lack of cooperation in the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
- Black's lawyer, Susan Estrich, denied the accusations and called the inquiry a "political witch hunt".
- Black's deposition is scheduled for September 3, 2026.
- The dispute centers on the scope of the investigation and Black's willingness to provide non-disclosure agreements.
Representative James Comer, the Republican chairman of the House oversight committee, has threatened private equity investor Leon Black with contempt of Congress if he does not fully cooperate with the panel's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Comer accused Black of deliberately delaying and disrupting the inquiry in a letter released Tuesday.
Comer stated that if Black refuses to provide responsive documents or appear for his scheduled deposition on September 3, 2026, the committee will "use all tools at its disposal, including contempt." Black's lawyer, Susan Estrich, rejected Comer's assertions, calling the letter a misrepresentation of facts and labeling the investigation a "political witch hunt."
Black had voluntarily agreed to be questioned in June as part of the committee's broad investigation into Epstein, which includes examining alleged mismanagement of the government's investigation, sex-trafficking rings, and how Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell sought to protect their illegal activities. However, Black's appearance lasted only one hour, with members of both parties noting his refusal to answer questions about non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).
In response to Black's alleged lack of cooperation, Comer issued two subpoenas: one demanding all NDAs to which Black is a party, and another requiring him to appear for a deposition. The core of the current dispute lies in the scope of the committee's investigation.
According to Comer's letter, Black has provided one NDA and indicated willingness to provide one additional one. However, Black's attorneys are reportedly seeking a promise that he will not be held in contempt, a change from a deposition to a voluntary transcribed interview, and a limitation of questions regarding confidentiality agreements to the two NDAs he is willing to provide. Black's team also sought to delay the interview from September 3 to early October.
Comer wrote that Black has "consistently sought to dictate to the Committee the scope of its investigation" rather than seeking reasonable accommodation. A point of contention is the timing of any existing NDAs. Black reportedly defended providing only one NDA by stating that any others would have been negotiated "well after Epstein’s death" in 2019. Comer countered that Black does not have the right to decide what documents are responsive and that agreements signed after Epstein's death could still involve his victims.
Estrich stated that Black provided the only confidentiality agreement that predated Epstein's death and was known to Epstein. She argued that Congress has no right to "invade private lives as part of a fishing expedition," especially when parties to an agreement do not wish their identities revealed in a "circus-like atmosphere" and when Epstein had no connection to the agreement. A report commissioned by Apollo indicated Epstein provided financial services to Black between 2012 and 2017. After Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges in 2008, Black became his largest client, paying him approximately $170 million in fees, according to a Senate finance committee investigation. Black has described his work for Epstein as tax and estate-planning services, stating in June that he was unaware of Epstein's "nefarious activity" until July 2019, though he acknowledged knowing about Epstein's 2008 guilty plea to charges involving prostitution and a minor.