Leon Black Likely To Face Contempt of Congress After Defying Subpoenas, Refusing To Show for Deposition in Epstein Probe

Billionaire private equity titan Leon Black now faces a real risk of being held in contempt of Congress after he defied two subpoenas from the House Oversight Committee on Thursday, refusing to appear for deposition in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Mr. Black is suing the committee in an attempt to have the subpoenas nullified. Mr. Black had a lengthy relationship with Epstein over the course of several decades. He was one of the many individuals who wrote a note to Epstein for his notorious 50th birthday book, along with President Clinton and President Trump. In his note, Mr. Black referenced blondes, redheads, and brunettes. Mr. Black voluntarily appeared before the House Oversight Committee earlier this year to discuss his lengthy friendship with Epstein, as well as his financial dealings with the late sexual predator. Over the course of many years, Mr. Blacks gave Epstein more than $170 million, ostensibly for financial planning and tax purposes. A New York Times report, however, found that tens of millions of dollars were given to Epstein for the purpose of paying women with whom Mr. Black had had sexual relations. In June, Mr. Black told members of the Oversight Committee that he had been “duped” by Epstein, proclaiming that he had no knowledge of any kind of sex trafficking ring. Epstein’s closest associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is currently serving a prison sentence for trafficking minors for Epstein. During the initial Oversight Committee interview, Mr. Black abruptly left the meeting, stating that he would not comply with the committee’s demands that he turn over the details of non-disclosure agreements that he may or may not have with various women. After he left, the chairman of the panel, Congressman James Comer, subpoenaed the NDA records and issued a subpoena for Mr. Black to appear for a deposition. On Thursday, Mr. Black refused to appear for that closed-door deposition and instead sued the committee, arguing that the subpoenas go beyond Congress’ legislative and investigative powers. “It’s a shame Leon Black is hiding behind litigation rather than provide answers to the American people,” Mr. Comer said in a statement. “Our investigation is examining how the federal government for decades failed survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes and how Mr. Epstein sought to curry favor with influential individuals to avoid scrutiny.” Mr. Comer says he plans to speak with fellow Oversight Committee members to discuss “next steps.”Democrats and Republicans on the committee were quick to declare that they support moving forward with contempt of Congress proceedings. “The process of contempt has to begin,” the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, Congressman Robert Garcia, told reporters on Thursday. “His lawsuit against the committee is laughable.”Two Republican members of the committee have already publicly announced support for Mr. Garcia’s call for contempt of Congress proceedings. “Leon Black is knowingly defying a congressional subpoena. This is CONTEMPT of Congress,” Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna wrote on X. “I will be working with Chairman @RepJamesComer and Ranking Member @RepRobertGarcia to bring the full weight of the federal government down upon those who think they are above the law.” Congresswoman Nancy Mace also said Mr. Black should be held in contempt. Before he refused to show for his scheduled deposition, Mr. Black’s attorneys filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to block the subpoenas. His lawyers wrote that the subpoenas are “invalid to the extent they exceed [the committee’s] delegated authority in seeking private information that bears no legitimate connection to [the committee’s] legislative purpose.”“[T]he 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 lawyers wrote.

Leon Black Likely To Face Contempt of Congress After Defying Subpoenas, Refusing To Show for Deposition in Epstein Probe

Leon Black Likely To Face Contempt of Congress After Defying Subpoenas, Refusing To Show for Deposition in Epstein Probe

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