House holds Leon Black in contempt after he refuses subpoenas over Jeffrey Epstein ties

• The US House of Representatives voted to hold Leon Black in contempt of Congress on Wednesday, Sep. 16, 2026.
• The measure had advanced out of the House Oversight Committee in a bipartisan vote on Tuesday.
• House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said, “No one is above the law. Leon Black defied two subpoenas, and the U.S. House of Representatives acted swiftly to find him in contempt of Congress.”
• Leon Black’s attorneys, Susan Estrich and Aaron Cutler, called the vote “an outrageous action” and said their lawsuit alleges the Committee and Chairman Comer abused Congressional power and broke the law.
• Black’s attorneys said a confidential ethics complaint will further allege that Chairman Comer violated the rules of the House.
• Black defied two congressional subpoenas issued by the House Oversight Committee demanding a deposition under oath and any nondisclosure agreements he signed.
• Black walked out of a closed-door, voluntary interview with the committee in June before it ended.
• Lawmakers said Black declined to answer questions about nondisclosure agreements, including those he may have signed with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse.

Left- and right-leaning outlets are covering this story differently — in which facts to emphasize, which context to include, and how to frame causes and consequences.