Black's complaint says the committee "has used the threat of contempt" to pressure him and calls that use of process "coercive"
Leon BlackPlaintiff in Black v. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (D.D.C. No. 1:26-cv-03084), in a complaint signed by his attorneys at Hogan Lovells Cadwalader
In a complaint filed in federal court on September 3, 2026, Leon Black asked a judge to declare the committee's two subpoenas invalid and unenforceable. The complaint says the subpoenas exceed the committee's delegated authority and that the committee "has used the threat of contempt and enforcement" to "pressure Mr. Black to abandon lawful objections in pursuit of news headlines". It calls this "use of process" "coercive" and describes his choice as a "Hobson's choice" between surrendering private information and facing "actual or threatened contempt proceedings".
Responding to
In a federal complaint, Leon Black alleged that the House Oversight Committee's two subpoenas are invalid to the extent they exceed its delegated authority by seeking private information that has no legitimate connection to its legislative purpose.
“The subpoenas are invalid to the extent they exceed OGR’s delegated authority in seeking private information that bears no legitimate connection to OGR’s legislative purpose. ... And they have left Mr. Black with a Hobson’s choice: to surrender private and confidential information that OGR has no lawful authority to demand or to maintain his well-founded objections and face actual or threatened contempt proceedings and federal court enforcement of an overbroad subpoena. ... OGR has used the threat of contempt and enforcement not to obtain information tied to a valid legislative purpose, but to pressure Mr. Black to abandon lawful objections in pursuit of news headlines. That use of process is coercive.”
Original text
Original text
Original text
Original text
Original text
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 text
About this source
Black's federal complaint against the committee and Chairman Comer, signed by his attorneys at Hogan Lovells Cadwalader. Paragraphs 10, 49 to 51 and 93 describe the committee's August 18 warning of contempt and Black's objection to it. The allegations are Black's, not court findings.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Original text
About this source
Comer's reply to Black's counsel, filed publicly as an exhibit to the complaint. It rejects the July 24 objections and warns that contempt is among the tools the committee would use.
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
Official record of the House floor action on H. Res. 1543: Comer's request for unanimous consent, the absence of objection, and agreement to the resolution.
Original text
About this source
Court docket for Black's lawsuit, assigned to Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. The entries viewed run from the complaint on September 3 through appearance filings on September 9 and include no ruling.
Before the quotation
In an August 18, 2026 letter to Black's counsel, Chairman Comer wrote that if Black refused to provide responsive documents or to appear for his scheduled September 3 deposition, "the Committee will use all tools at its disposal, including contempt". Black filed this complaint on September 3, 2026.
After the quotation
The committee voted 41 to 0 on September 15, 2026 to recommend contempt, and the House agreed to the resolution by unanimous consent on September 16. The CourtListener copy of the docket, last updated September 18, listed no ruling on Black's claims.
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, which the committee first threatened on August 18 and the House approved on September 16, the complaint calls the threat of contempt coercive and the subpoenas invalid. It was filed twelve days before the committee's vote and predates the resolution, so it addresses the threat rather than the later decision. It rejects the basis for that threat, which is stronger than disputing a description, so condemns fits better than “Challenged the characterization”.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- James Comer Jr., House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
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
- Black's complaint says the committee "has used the threat of contempt" to pressure him and calls that use of process "coercive"
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/2769-in-a-complaint-filed-in-federal-court-on
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Black's complaint says the committee "has used the threat of contempt" to pressure him and calls that use of process "coercive"". First published: 2026-09-26. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/2769-in-a-complaint-filed-in-federal-court-on