The House Oversight Committee has voted 41-0 to recommend that billionaire investor Leon Black be held in contempt of Congress for not complying with subpoenas related to its investigation into the late Jeffrey Epstein. Black, a former business associate of Epstein, was subpoenaed to appear before the committee on Sept. 3 and to produce non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) related to his relationship with Epstein. Instead of appearing, Black challenged the subpoenas in court. The contempt resolution now moves to the full House for a vote on whether to refer the matter to the Justice Department for potential prosecution. The decision to pursue charges would be up to the Justice Department. It is unclear when the House will vote on the issue, as this is its final week in session before Election Day. Black, co-founder of Apollo Global Management, employed Epstein as a financial adviser from 2013 to 2017, paying him millions of dollars for wealth management services. According to reports, Black paid Epstein between $158 million and $170 million during that time. Black also allegedly shared personal matters with Epstein, including extramarital affairs, which led to NDAs. Black has said he regrets employing Epstein, claiming Epstein repeatedly lied about his involvement in investment decisions. His attorneys have stated that Black was not aware of Epstein’s crimes and that Epstein had no involvement with NDAs. In June, Black abruptly left a voluntary, transcribed interview with the committee after refusing to answer questions about NDAs. In response, the committee issued two subpoenas: one requiring Black to produce all NDAs he was a party to and another demanding his appearance for a deposition. Black did not appear on Sept. 3, and instead filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the subpoenas. He argued the subpoenas had no legitimate connection to the committee’s legislative purpose and that producing NDAs would violate the privacy of women with no known ties to Epstein. GOP Rep. James Comer, the committee’s chairman, said Black is “hiding behind litigation,” while Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, strongly supported the contempt recommendation. Black’s attorneys have criticized the process, calling it a political and retaliatory move, and stated that the subpoenas were illegitimate and an abuse of power. They urged the committee to delay the vote until a court rules on their lawsuit and the Office of Congressional Conduct reviews a complaint about Comer’s conduct during the deposition. The House Speaker’s office has not yet commented on whether the full House will consider the contempt measure. Earlier this year, the committee also sought to hold former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton, in contempt for not testifying about Epstein, though they ultimately complied.