Billionaire financier Leon Black moved one step closer to a possible criminal referral Tuesday after House lawmakers unanimously recommended holding him in contempt of Congress.
The House Oversight Committee voted 41-0 after Black defied subpoenas seeking documents and testimony about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Politico reported Tuesday.
Black, the co-founder and former CEO of Apollo Global Management, paid Epstein at least $158 million for what he described as legitimate professional services after Epstein became a registered sex offender. Black has denied knowing about Epstein’s criminal conduct or participating in any crimes.
"He met with the committee in May for a transcribed interview but declined to speak at length about nondisclosure agreements he entered into with women tied to Epstein," according to Politico. "As a result, the panel subpoenaed him to turn over those documents, to which Black responded by refusing to submit all those in his possession."
Black also did not appear for the rescheduled Sept. 3 deposition. Instead, he sued the committee and its Republican chairman, Rep. James Comer (R-KY), seeking to block the subpoenas.
The unanimous vote on Tuesday “marks an escalation in an already contentious standoff,” Politico noted. The resolution now moves to the full House, where lawmakers will decide whether to approve it and issue a criminal contempt referral to the Department of Justice.