Billionaire Leon Black Defies Epstein Subpoena, Sues House Oversight Panel

Billionaire investor Leon Black refused to appear for a sworn congressional deposition Thursday and instead sued the House Oversight Committee, asking a federal judge to block subpoenas issued as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

The committee went forward with the deposition for the record, leaving an empty chair where Black was expected to testify. Lawmakers are now weighing whether to pursue contempt proceedings over his refusal to appear.

Black, the former chairman and chief executive of Apollo Global Management, paid Epstein $158 million between 2012 and 2017 for tax, estate-planning and other financial services. He has maintained that he did not know about Epstein’s criminal conduct and has repeatedly denied participating in any of his crimes.

His lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., names the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and its chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky. Black argues that the subpoenas exceed Congress’s constitutional authority and seek private information with no legitimate connection to the committee’s legislative work.

At the center of the fight are nondisclosure agreements involving Black.

Black says he has already provided an agreement he considers potentially relevant to the Epstein investigation. His lawyers argue that producing additional confidentiality agreements would expose the identities and private circumstances of women with no known connection to Epstein.

Black’s attorney, Susan Estrich, said the existence of confidentiality agreements should not itself be treated as evidence of wrongdoing and argued that agreements unrelated to Epstein fall outside the committee’s legitimate inquiry.

The committee maintains that Black’s NDAs and testimony are important to its investigation.

Congress has broad power to compel witnesses and documents when conducting investigations connected to legislation or government oversight. But congressional subpoena power has limits. Courts have recognized that lawmakers must be pursuing a valid legislative purpose and acting within the authority assigned to the committee.

Black is asking the court to find that the Oversight Committee crossed that line.

The confrontation began during Black’s voluntary transcribed interview with the committee on June 26. According to the panel, Black declined to answer questions about nondisclosure agreements, prompting Comer to issue two subpoenas, one demanding the agreements and another compelling additional testimony.

Black’s lawyers say he had already cooperated extensively, answered questions and produced documents before the committee expanded its demands. They characterize the latest subpoenas as a “public fishing expedition.”

Comer sharply criticized Black after he failed to appear Thursday.

“It’s a shame Leon Black is hiding behind litigation rather than provide answers to the American people,” Comer said.

The chairman said the committee is examining how the federal government failed victims of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell over decades, along with Epstein’s efforts to develop relationships with wealthy and influential people.

Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the committee’s ranking Democrat, called for Black to be held in contempt.

A contempt vote would escalate the standoff but would not decide whether Black’s challenge to the subpoenas is legally valid. The committee could vote to hold him in contempt, followed by potential action from the full House. A criminal contempt matter could then be referred to the Justice Department, while the separate court fight over the subpoenas continues.

Black’s financial relationship with Epstein has drawn scrutiny for years.

A 2021 investigation commissioned by Apollo found no evidence that Black was involved in Epstein’s criminal activities and concluded that the payments were for legitimate professional services. Black stepped down from leadership of Apollo that year as scrutiny of the relationship intensified.

During his June interview with the Oversight Committee, Black denied abusing women, having sex with underage people, participating in sex trafficking, or paying Epstein for access to women.

Epstein was arrested on federal sex-trafficking charges in 2019 and died in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial. His death was ruled a suicide. Maxwell was later convicted of helping recruit and groom underage girls for Epstein and is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence.

Black’s lawsuit now puts the Epstein investigation on two tracks. A federal court must consider his effort to invalidate the congressional subpoenas, while the Oversight Committee decides whether to pursue contempt or other enforcement measures over his refusal to testify.