Leon Black Challenges House Oversight Committee in Court Over Subpoena
The ongoing investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s connections has taken a new turn as billionaire Leon Black files a lawsuit against the House Oversight Committee. Black, who was expected to testify about his association with Epstein, instead accuses the committee of exceeding its authority.
Black, the founder and ex-CEO of Apollo Global Management, was slated to provide testimony under a subpoena issued by the committee. However, instead of appearing, he initiated legal action against the committee and its Republican head, Rep. James Comer of Kentucky. Black’s lawsuit characterizes the committee’s inquiry as an unjustified “public fishing expedition” aimed at garnering political leverage.
In reaction, Comer described Black’s refusal to testify as “unacceptable” and suggested the possibility of holding him in contempt. “I don’t think I need to tell anyone in here how important of a witness Mr. Black is to this investigation,” Comer remarked to journalists on Capitol Hill, noting Black’s unique position as the first person to file a lawsuit against the panel.
The House Oversight Committee has been examining Epstein’s network, with Black’s name appearing frequently in the Justice Department’s files. While the presence of his name does not imply legal wrongdoing, Black’s civil suit argues that the committee’s actions lack a “legitimate legislative purpose” and have exceeded their jurisdiction.
Black had earlier engaged with the committee voluntarily in June but ended his session when the topic of nondisclosure agreements arose, as noted in his lawsuit. He now declines to comply with the committee’s subpoena, which demands any NDAs he may have signed. Black contends that he has already disclosed the only relevant confidentiality agreement involving Epstein.
Following Epstein’s arrest in July 2019 on sex-trafficking charges and subsequent death in prison, Black asserts that revealing NDAs sought by the subpoena would compromise the privacy of individuals who agreed to confidentiality.
Despite accusations, Black maintains his ignorance of Epstein’s criminal activities. An independent investigation, commissioned by Apollo, found that “Mr. Black paid Epstein $158 million for tax, estate-planning, and other legitimate activities.”
Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the committee, has urged Congress to hold Black in contempt for defying its subpoenas, citing allegations from women against Black. “He funded Epstein’s abuse and trafficking of women. Multiple women have also accused Black of sexual assault,” Garcia stated to NPR, condemning Black’s connections to Epstein and lack of cooperation.
In his defense, Black’s testimony to the committee in June insisted that he has “never abused a woman, never been with an underage woman, never engaged in sex trafficking, never paid Epstein for access to women, and never was blackmailed by Epstein.”
The committee has already interviewed several high-profile figures, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Bill Gates, Les Wexner, and Bill and Hillary Clinton, among others.
Comer earlier revealed that Richard Kahn, Epstein’s accountant, testified about Black being among “five clients who paid money to Epstein,” with others including Wexner, Steven Sinofsky, Glenn Dubin, and the Rothschild family, as reported by NPR.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
