Leon Black Sues House Oversight Committee to Block Subpoenas in Epstein Investigation

Former Apollo Global Management CEO Leon Black sued the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Thursday, seeking to block two subpoenas for nondisclosure agreements he was a party to in connection with its investigation of his ties to notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Black was due to appear before the Oversight committee on Thursday morning but refused to do so. The committee instead held a closed-door session with an empty chair set aside for the missing billionaire.

Democrats on the panel called on it to formally hold Black in contempt "immediately."

Black's attorneys say the NDAs being sought by the panel have nothing to do with his dealings with Epstein.

"The Committee is on a fishing expedition that oversteps its authority," one of the lawyers, Susan Estrich, said in a statement. "This is no longer about finding the truth about Epstein. It is about trying to destroy Mr. Black."

The lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Washington claims the two subpoenas issued to Black are "invalid to the extent they exceed OGR's delegated authority in seeking private information that bears no legitimate connection to OGR's legislative purpose."

"Additionally, the subpoenas would also expose women who value their privacy, who have no known or public connection to Epstein, who bargained for confidentiality and have refused to release it, and who have no ability to protect themselves and their privacy before the Committee," the suit says.

Oversight committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., in a statement said, "It's a shame Leon Black is hiding behind litigation rather than provide answers to the American people."

"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," Comer said. 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.

"I will speak with our members about next steps," Comer said.

Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the ranking Democrat on the panel, said in a statement, "By refusing to testify today, Leon Black is now defying two Congressional subpoenas. Black gave Jeffrey Epstein over $180 million over six years."

Black in June refused to answer the panel's questions when he appeared in person behind closed doors before the committee.

"He funded Epstein's abuse and trafficking of women. Multiple women have also accused Black of sexual assault," Garcia said. "His connections to Epstein and his unwillingness to cooperate are unacceptable. We must hold him in contempt immediately."

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