James Comer Threatens Leon Black With Contempt Over Epstein Probe

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has threatened to hold private equity investor Leon Black in contempt if he does not cooperate with an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The conflict follows a June questioning session that ended abruptly when Black allegedly refused to answer questions regarding non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).

Comer has issued subpoenas for all of Black's NDAs and scheduled a deposition for September 3, 2026. While Black, a co-founder of Apollo Asset Management and former client of Epstein, has provided one NDA and offered a second, his legal team is attempting to limit the scope of the inquiry and delay the deposition until October.

Lawyer Susan Estrich characterized the investigation as a "political witch hunt" and a "fishing expedition," arguing that agreements signed after Epstein's 2019 death are irrelevant. Comer countered that these documents could still involve Epstein's victims. Between 2012 and 2017, Black paid Epstein approximately $170 million for tax and estate-planning services.