US House votes to hold billionaire Epstein associate Leon Black in contempt

The US House of Representatives has agreed to hold billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress for defying a legal summons related to its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Black, who had business ties to Epstein, did not comply with a subpoena ordering him to appear before the House Oversight Committee earlier this month and share documents related to Epstein.

Lawyers for Black, who has sued over the summons, called the contempt move "outrageous".

After passage of the measure holding Black in contempt, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said: "No-one is above the law. We will continue to seek transparency for the American people and justice for survivors."

In a statement shared with US media, lawyers for Black called the House move an "outrageous action that ignores the facts and the truth about Mr Black".

"The full House is holding him in contempt without any regard to the active litigation challenging the lawfulness of the Committee's actions and the ethics complaint against Chairman Comer," they said.

The measure, which passed by unanimous consent, means the matter will be referred to the US justice department, which will decide whether to criminally prosecute Black.

In a written statement, the committee's top Democrat, congressman Robert Garcia, called the contempt vote "an important step towards justice and accountability".