Black v. House Oversight Committee

Major Issue: Whether an individual must comply with subpoenas issued by a committee to compel him to appear at a deposition and produce documents.

Case Status: Pending.

Case Description: On June 26, 2026, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a voluntary transcribed interview with billionaire Leon Black as part of its investigation into convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Although Black appeared for the interview and answered some questions, he declined to answer questions regarding non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and abruptly ended the interview. The Chairman of the Committee, James Comer (R-KY), issued two subpoenas, requiring that Black appear for a mandatory deposition on July 16, 2026, and produce NDAs and other records demanded by the Committee. The Committee later accommodated Black’s request to extend the deposition to September 3, 2026. On that date, Black failed to appear for the deposition, did not produce the NDAs, and sued the Committee in civil court, seeking a declaratory judgment that the Committee exceeded its authority in issuing the subpoenas. On September 15, 2026, the Committee voted 41 to 0 to hold Black in contempt of Congress, and on the next day, the House unanimously voted to refer Black to the D.C. U.S. Attorney for criminal prosecution.

Procedural Posture: D.C. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly was assigned to Case No. 1:26-cv-03084-CKK.