Rep. Suhas Subramanyam says "We just unanimously voted to hold Leon Black in contempt of Congress"
Suhas SubramanyamMember of the House Oversight Committee, in a post on X with an attached video
In a post on X with a short video, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam said "We just unanimously voted to hold Leon Black in contempt of Congress". In the video he said Black has "a lot of documents that are central to our investigation" and is refusing to provide them.
“We just unanimously voted to hold Leon Black in contempt of Congress. His name appears in the Epstein files hundreds of times, and he gave Epstein $180 million. The survivors told us to follow the money and that is exactly what we are doing. ... Whatever happened, the reality is he has a lot of information, a lot of documents that are central to our investigation and he's refusing.”
Original post
Original text
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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
Original post
About this source
Post by a member of the Oversight Committee, with a short attached video, published after the House agreed to the contempt resolution.
Original text
About this source
Congress.gov action history for H. Res. 1543. It lists consideration by unanimous consent and agreement to the resolution without objection on September 16, 2026.
Original text
About this source
Committee roll call sheet for the vote to report the contempt resolution. It records 41 ayes and 0 noes, with 20 Republicans and 21 Democrats voting aye and six Republican members not recorded.
Original text
About this source
The committee's report on the contempt resolution. It sets out the subpoena history, the committee's account of Black's non-compliance, its response to the reasons Black gave, and the recorded committee vote. It states the committee's position, not a court finding.
Before the quotation
The House agreed to the contempt resolution by unanimous consent on September 16, 2026, after the Oversight Committee voted 41 to 0 on September 15 to recommend it.
After the quotation
The post appeared at 2:53 p.m. Eastern time on September 16, after the House agreed to the resolution at 2:36 p.m., according to Congress.gov. The committee's report says Black made payments to Epstein totaling over $158 million and potentially exceeding $170 million.
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, Subramanyam announces the action approvingly and says Black is refusing to hand over documents central to the investigation. That is support for the action itself.
- 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
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- Rep. Suhas Subramanyam says "We just unanimously voted to hold Leon Black in contempt of Congress"
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The Dispute Index. "Rep. Suhas Subramanyam says "We just unanimously voted to hold Leon Black in contempt of Congress"". First published: 2026-09-26. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/2663-in-a-post-on-x-with-a-short