Business magnate Leon Black on Thursday pressed against the House oversight committee’s attempt to investigate him as part of its Jeffrey Epstein inquiry, filing a lawsuit challenging the panel’s move to summon him for testimony and unearth his nondisclosure agreements.
Black, who helped found private equity behemoth Apollo Global Management, had been subpoenaed for multiple NDAs and to testify before the committee on Thursday. Instead, he sued in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., arguing that the subpoenas are invalid because they bear “no legitimate connection” to the committee’s purpose.
“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 lawsuit says.
Chairman James Comer (R-KY) is seeking more information on nondisclosure agreements on Black’s alleged sexual escapades after emails released by the committee last year indicated he discussed an extramarital affair with Epstein. Those emails appear to show Epstein offered Black advice in 2015 as Black tangled with a former Russian model. Black has also been accused in court of raping two women, including a minor, at Epstein’s New York home in 2002, allegations he denies.
Black argued in his lawsuit that turning over nondisclosure agreements would “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.”
Democrats on the panel, including Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), called on the committee to hold Black in contempt “immediately,” after he failed to show up for the deposition. Comer, the committee’s top Republican, said he “would hold him in contempt right now,” but said he would discuss the matter with the panel’s lawyers to avoid harming its chances of obtaining the NDAs.
Black voluntarily testified before the House oversight committee in June, when he told lawmakers he had known Epstein since the 1990s and began employing him as a wealth management adviser in 2013.
Black was one of several wealthy individuals Microsoft Founder Bill Gates said Epstein connected him with as a possible donor for Gates’ global health initiatives. Gates, who had around 16 meetings with Epstein, told House lawmakers in June that Epstein promised him he could raise billions for global health initiatives connected to the Microsoft founder. Epstein arranged some meetings with himself, Gates, and possible donors, including Black, former Harvard University President Larry Summers, former Barclays CEO Jes Staley, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, billionaire investor Tom Pritzker, and Josh Harris, who was Black’s colleague at Apollo Global Management.
Black is connected to Brad Karp, another prominent figure who became entangled in the Epstein saga. Karp chaired Paul Weiss, one of the country’s most prestigious law firms, for years before being forced to step down in February over his connections to Epstein.
Karp met Epstein in the 2010s through Black. At the time, Black had hired Epstein for estate planning and tax advice, paying him millions for the services. Karp was representing Black and Apollo, leading the three of them to cross paths. During that time period, Karp and Epstein became “friends,” according to emails released by the Justice Department. Black later had fee disputes with Epstein, leading Karp to become involved in negotiations on behalf of his Apollo client.
Black testified to the House oversight committee in June that Epstein helped him save billions of dollars as his wealth management adviser. He also said Epstein defrauded him of over $60 million in financial advisory fees by falsely claiming that they were tax-deductible.
This week, Black accused the committee of exceeding its constitutional authority by subpoenaing him.
“The Committee is on a fishing expedition that oversteps its authority and completely ignores its responsibility,” Black’s attorney, Susan Estrich, said. “This is no longer about finding the truth about Epstein. It is about trying to destroy Mr. Black. We were left with no choice but to file this lawsuit in response to an abuse of Congressional power.”