House Sends Epstein Contempt Referral as Judge Presses Justice Department on Files
The House sent its first Epstein-related contempt referral to the Justice Department, asking it to prosecute investor Leon Black, who paid Jeffrey Epstein more than $170 million and skipped a deposition. A federal judge also ruled that Attorney General Todd Blanche was still withholding required files and gave him until Sept. 24 to turn over FBI agents' handwritten notes. The judge said Blanche must prove that redacted names belong to victims, and the Black referral now goes to an official facing his own contempt deadline.
The House's referral concerning Leon Black is the first Epstein-related contempt request it has sent to the Justice Department. Lawmakers from both parties backed asking prosecutors to pursue the investor, who paid Jeffrey Epstein over $170 million between 2012 and 2017 and did not appear for a deposition after leaving a closed-door congressional interview in June.
Separately, a federal judge found Attorney General Todd Blanche still had not released materials the law requires. Blanche must provide FBI agents' handwritten notes by Sept. 24, including notes from an interview with a woman who said Trump and Epstein abused her when she was a girl, and must establish that redacted names are victims.
The dual deadlines may shape public expectations about whether Congress and courts can compel testimony and records in the Epstein inquiry. Victims and witnesses could be affected if more documents become public or if privacy redactions are challenged. Lawmakers may face pressure to show oversight is effective, while the Justice Department could confront questions about prosecutorial priorities and compliance. The outcome may influence trust in institutions handling sensitive abuse investigations.