Leon Black has sued the US House Oversight Committee after refusing to attend a deposition about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, arguing that congressional subpoenas demanding his testimony and private documents exceed the panel’s authority.
The billionaire investor was due to appear before the committee in Washington on Thursday, but instead filed a case in federal court seeking to have the subpoenas declared invalid and to prevent lawmakers from enforcing them.
The House panel issued two subpoenas to Mr Black in June, after he left a voluntary, closed-door interview and declined to answer questions about non-disclosure agreements. One order required him to hand over the agreements and related documents, while the other compelled him to return for a sworn, videotaped deposition.
Mr Black’s legal team argues that the committee is seeking private information with no legitimate connection to its legislative work. The lawsuit also says disclosure of the agreements could expose women who had negotiated confidentiality and had no known or public connection to Epstein.
Susan Estrich, an attorney for Mr Black, said the committee was conducting “a fishing expedition” and had abused its congressional powers.
“This is no longer about finding the truth about Epstein. It is about trying to destroy Mr Black,” she said in a statement.
Committee chairman James Comer said Mr Black was an important witness because he had been one of Epstein’s fee-paying clients and had entered into several non-disclosure agreements. The Republican congressman said the panel’s investigation was examining how the US government had failed survivors of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes, as well as how Epstein cultivated influential figures.
“It’s a shame Leon Black is hiding behind litigation rather than provide answers to the American people,” Mr Comer said, adding that the deposition would proceed with an empty chair in Mr Black’s place.
Robert Garcia, the committee’s leading Democrat, called for Mr Black to be held in contempt of Congress, saying that by refusing to appear he was defying two subpoenas. The committee’s leaders were expected to discuss the next steps on Thursday.
Mr Black co-founded Apollo Global Management and stepped down from the private equity firm in 2021 after scrutiny of his ties to Epstein. An Apollo-commissioned review found that he paid Epstein $158 million between 2012 and 2017 for tax, estate-planning and related services.
Mr Black has said he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal activities until 2019 and that he employed him for his financial expertise and extensive network of contacts. During his earlier appearance before Congress, he described Epstein as a liar and said he regretted hiring him.
