Comer says Black defied the subpoenas and "We have no choice but to hold him in contempt"
James Comer Jr.Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, in opening remarks at a committee markup
In opening remarks at the committee's September 15 markup, Chairman James Comer said Black was legally required to appear for a deposition and to turn over all nondisclosure agreements to which he was a party, and that he refused to do either. Comer said Black was hiding behind litigation, that "Subpoenas are not suggestions" and that the committee had told Black and his attorneys it would begin contempt proceedings if he did not comply.
Responding to
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform said in House Report 119-831 that Leon Black willfully failed to comply with its June 26, 2026 deposition subpoena and document subpoena, and that his stated reasons for not complying are without merit.
“I subpoenaed Leon Black for testimony and documents critical to our investigation, but he has refused to comply. Leon Black is legally required to appear for a deposition before the Oversight Committee and required to turn over all non-disclosure agreements to which he was a party. The Committee also asked for all NDAs and confidentiality agreements that Epstein and Maxwell were involved or referenced in. He defied Congress and refused to do either. Instead, Mr. Black is hiding behind litigation to delay having to provide answers to the American people. No one is above the law. ... Subpoenas are not suggestions. They carry the force of law and require full compliance. ... We made it clear to Mr. Black and his attorneys that if he did not comply, then the Committee would initiate contempt proceedings. We have no choice but to hold him in contempt.”
Official statement
Original video
Other statements by James Comer Jr. in this case
- Comer defends the House's contempt finding after the voteLater: Defended or excused
Where this statement fits
Was the House justified in holding Leon Black in contempt of Congress over the Epstein inquiry?
On June 26, 2026, Leon Black appeared voluntarily for a transcribed interview in the House Oversight Committee's Epstein investigation. The committee said he declined to answer questions about nondisclosure agreements, and Chairman James Comer issued two subpoenas that day, one for a deposition and one for nondisclosure agreements. Black did not appear for the September 3 deposition and sued the committee that day; his attorneys said he had produced the only confidentiality agreement within the committee's stated purpose and that the subpoenas exceed its authority. The committee voted 41-0 on September 15 to recommend contempt, and the House agreed to the resolution by unanimous consent on September 16 with no recorded vote. Comer and Ranking Member Robert Garcia said Black defied the subpoenas, while Black's attorneys called the action retaliatory. The CourtListener copy of the lawsuit docket, last updated September 18, listed no ruling on Black's claims, and as of September 25, 2026 we could not locate a public Justice Department decision on the referral.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Committee press release with the text of Chairman Comer's opening remarks for the September 15 markup and the committee's background summary of the subpoenas.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Original video
About this source
Committee video of the September 15 markup of the Black contempt resolution. It shows Chairman Comer's opening remarks, Ranking Member Garcia's remarks, the chair's call for other members to be heard, and the announced vote total.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Chairman James Comer's and Ranking Member Robert Garcia's remarks on the Leon Black subpoena measure, followed by the vote total, at the House Oversight Committee's Sept. 15, 2026 business meeting.
Two excerpts joined by one-second black gaps: 0:48 to 7:10 and 18:08 to 18:42 of the committee video. DI added its logo in the corner.
Video: House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Public domain (U.S. government work) (opens in a new tab)
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: Comer opening remarks from about 0:50; Garcia remarks from about 3:45; roll call and vote total after Garcia's remarks)
Before the quotation
The committee said Black failed to appear for his September 3, 2026 deposition, withheld nondisclosure agreements and sued Comer and the committee.
After the quotation
The committee then voted 41 to 0 to report the resolution to the full House, according to the vote total announced at the meeting.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to the decision to hold Black in contempt, Comer argues that Black was required to comply, was using litigation to avoid answering and left the committee no choice. He advocates the contempt action itself, which is a defense of it rather than a dispute over how it is described.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Leon Black
More from this case
Read the full caseFormer House counsel Michael Stern writes that Black's lawsuit "must fail" and that the committee "is entitled to question Black under oath"
“Black’s lawsuit must fail because it is well-settled that courts lack power to restrain congressional committees from issuing or enforcing a subpoena, regardless of the recipient’s claim that the subpoena violates constitutional privilege, was improperly motivated, or is otherwise unlawful. ... COGR is entitled to question Black under oath in a formal deposition even if Black had answered every pertinent question in a voluntary interview.”Read statement
Sen. Ron Wyden says "Black is doing everything in his power to dodge questions from Congress"
“No surprise Black is doing everything in his power to dodge questions from Congress.”Read statement
Rep. Yassamin Ansari says "Congressional subpoenas are binding, not suggestions"
“The House just unanimously approved our Oversight contempt resolution for Leon Black ... Congressional subpoenas are binding, not suggestions.”Read statement
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Comer says Black defied the subpoenas and "We have no choice but to hold him in contempt"
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/2661-in-opening-remarks-at-the-committee-s-september
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Comer says Black defied the subpoenas and "We have no choice but to hold him in contempt"". First published: 2026-09-26. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/2661-in-opening-remarks-at-the-committee-s-september