Leon Black Sues House Committee to Block Epstein Subpoenas

Billionaire investor Leon Black filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block subpoenas from the House Oversight Committee. The lawsuit seeks to prevent the committee from forcing Black to turn over nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) involving several women, arguing the request oversteps legislative authority and violates the privacy of individuals unrelated to Jeffrey Epstein.

Black, a co-founder of Apollo Global Management, was scheduled for a second round of questioning on Thursday but refused to attend. This follows a June interview session that Black abruptly ended. While he provided one NDA involving a former girlfriend and Epstein, the committee deemed the production insufficient and noted the absence of a privilege log. Survivors of Epstein's abuse have also urged Black to comply with the subpoenas to clarify his financial relationship with the late financier.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has threatened to hold Black in contempt of Congress, a position supported by ranking Democrat Robert Garcia. Black's attorney, Susan Estrich, has characterized the investigation as a fishing expedition intended to destroy her client rather than uncover the truth. Black has previously denied knowledge of Epstein's crimes until 2019, though he admitted knowing about Epstein's 2008 guilty plea regarding a minor.