Black, who had business ties to Jeffrey Epstein, has sued the House Oversight Committee over its Epstein investigation.
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Billionaire Leon Black, who had a business relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, defied a congressional subpoena calling him to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Thursday.
Black also on Thursday sued the committee in an attempt to block the subpoena, arguing that the panel is seeking information about him that is unrelated to its investigation of the deceased convicted sex offender.
In June, Black left a transcribed interview with the committee when asked about nondisclosure agreements related to Epstein.
Ahead of that interview, Black — who paid Epstein $158 million between 2012 and 2017 for financial services — said he learned about Epstein’s “nefarious activity” only after Epstein was charged in 2019 with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. Black has denied any wrongdoing and has said he never participated in any of the behavior Epstein was accused of.
“I knew Jekyll. I didn’t know Hyde,” Black told the committee.
Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to two charges of soliciting prostitution, including one involving a minor. He was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges in 2019 and died in federal custody later that year. His death was ruled a suicide. Judges and lawmakers say that over decades, he abused, trafficked and molested scores of girls, many of whom have come forward in court and in other public forums.
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Thursday’s session was meant to focus on nondisclosure agreements Black signed regarding his dealings with Epstein, and was expected to feature questions about the billionaire’s relationship with the financier.
Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky), chairman of the Oversight Committee, said that it is “a shame Leon Black is hiding behind litigation rather than provide answers to the American people,” and that the panel may vote to hold Black in contempt of Congress for ignoring the subpoena.
“We need those nondisclosure agreements,” Comer said, as he called Black’s lawsuit “totally unexpected.”
Rep. Robert Garcia (California), the top Democrat in the committee, urged the panel to hold Black in contempt.
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