Billionaire Leon Black defies Epstein probe subpoena and sues House Oversight Committee

Billionaire investor Leon Black has taken legal action against the House Oversight Committee after refusing to show up for a scheduled congressional deposition on Thursday. Instead, he filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block subpoenas issued as part of the panel's probe into disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.Lawmakers originally served Black with two subpoenas during a private voluntary interview in June after he reportedly declined to answer questions about nondisclosure agreements. One subpoena demanded that he produce NDAs and related files, while the second ordered him to return for a deposition.In his lawsuit, Black argues that the subpoenas exceed the committee’s authority by seeking personal information unrelated to Epstein or any legitimate legislative purpose. The filing asks a federal judge to strike down the subpoenas as invalid and prevent the committee from enforcing them.Files released by the Department of Justice regarding the Epstein case mention Black repeatedly (US Department of Justice)"The Committee is on a fishing expedition that oversteps its authority and completely ignores its responsibility," Black’s attorney, Susan Estrich, said in a statement. "This is no longer about finding the truth about Epstein. It is about trying to destroy Mr. Black."Lawmaker calls for Leon Black to be held in contemptRep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, argued that Congress "must hold him in contempt immediately."“By refusing to testify today, Leon Black is now defying two Congressional subpoenas,” Garcia said. “Black gave Jeffrey Epstein over $180 million over six years. He funded Epstein’s abuse and trafficking of women. Multiple women have also accused Black of sexual assault. His connections to Epstein and his unwillingness to cooperate are unacceptable. We must hold him in contempt immediately.”The committee's chair, Kentucky Rep. James Comer, accused Black of “hiding behind litigation rather than provide answers to the American people.”Comer’s statement continued, “Our investigation is examining how the federal government for decades failed survivors of Jeffery Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes and how Mr. Epstein sought to curry favor with influential individuals to avoid scrutiny. Mr. Black’s testimony is crucial to our investigation as he was one of Mr. Epstein’s fee paying clients and has several nondisclosure agreements. Our deposition is moving forward this morning for the record and there will be an empty chair for Mr. Black. I will speak with our members about next steps.”Leon Black’s connection to Jeffrey EpsteinBlack co-founded and served as chief executive of the private equity firm Apollo Global Management before stepping down in 2021 amid public fallout over his ties to Epstein.He is one of several high-profile individuals to feature in the probe into Epstein and the network of wealth and influence surrounding him. Others involved in the investigation include former Democratic President Bill Clinton, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.Files released by the Department of Justice regarding the Epstein case mention Black repeatedly. He was also featured in a collection of birthday greetings made public by the committee last year, which included a poem attributed to Black referencing "Blond, Red or Brunette, spread out geographically."Prior to his June 26 interview, Black maintained that he was unaware of Epstein’s "nefarious activity" until 2019, asserting that his payments to Epstein were for legitimate advice based on his "unrivaled network of relationships" with prominent figures.