Leon Black Sues House Oversight Committee Amid Jeffrey Epstein Investigation

Leon Black, the founder and former CEO of Apollo Global Management, has taken legal action against the House Oversight Committee. This committee is conducting an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Black arrived for a prior session with the panel on June 26, as seen in a photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images.

Black was supposed to testify concerning his interactions with Epstein, following a subpoena from the committee. Instead, he opted to file a lawsuit against both the committee and its Republican chairman. The lawsuit accuses the committee of overstepping its boundaries. Black’s civil lawsuit branded the committee’s inquiry, spearheaded by Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, as a “public fishing expedition,” suggesting its members pursued political gains.

I don’t think I need to tell anyone in here how important of a witness Mr. Black is to this investigation, said Comer. He also mentioned that Black’s actions were unacceptable and cited discussions on whether to hold Black in contempt. Black’s case was noteworthy, being the first instance where a powerful figure responded to the investigation with a lawsuit.

As the founder of Apollo Global Management private equity firm, Black is among several prominent figures called to provide testimony due to Epstein ties. His name appears frequently in the Justice Department’s files on Epstein, although presence in these documents doesn’t necessarily imply criminal activity.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, argues the committee’s authority must serve a legitimate legislative purpose, and claims the committee’s request exceeds these limits.

Previously, Black voluntarily spoke before the House Oversight Committee in June. Nevertheless, the discussion ended prematurely when questions arose concerning nondisclosure agreements. Black is now defying the committee’s subpoena requests related to these agreements.

According to Black, he provided the only pertinent confidentiality agreement, involving Epstein, that was executed while Epstein was alive. Epstein was detained in July 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges and later died in prison under circumstances classified as suicide.

Black contends that sharing NDAs could reveal unredacted identities and personal information concerning women who sought confidentiality agreements. He maintains he was unaware of Epstein’s illicit dealings. An independent review by Apollo highlighted that Black remunerated Epstein $158 million for legitimate tax and estate-planning services.

Rep. Robert Garcia from California, the House committee’s ranking member, advocated for Black to be held in contempt for ignoring congressional subpoenas. Garcia’s statement to NPR referenced women accusing Black of sexual misconduct. Garcia asserted, “He funded Epstein’s abuse and trafficking of women. Multiple women have also accused Black of sexual assault.”

Black’s suit references his earlier testimony, asserting he has never engaged in illegal activities such as abusing women or interacting with underage girls. Moreover, he declared he neither paid Epstein for access to women nor was blackmailed by him.

The committee has already interrogated numerous significant political and business figures. These include Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Bill Gates, Les Wexner of Victoria’s Secret fame, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Epstein’s former accountant Richard Kahn, and ex-attorney Darren Indyke.

Earlier this year, Comer remarked that Kahn, Epstein’s accountant for over ten years, testified that Black was one of “five clients who paid money to Epstein.” Others in this group reportedly included Wexner, Steven Sinofsky from Microsoft’s Windows Division, hedge fund investor Glenn Dubin, and the Rothschild family.