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Black sues over subpoenas
Billionaire Leon Black sued the House Oversight Committee and Chairman James Comer in federal court after refusing to appear for a deposition under subpoena as part of the committee’s probe into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“invalid to the extent they exceed OGR's delegated authority in seeking private information that bears no legitimate connection to OGR's legislative purpose”
The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and Black argued the subpoenas are “invalid to the extent they exceed OGR's delegated authority in seeking private information that bears no legitimate connection to OGR's legislative purpose.”
ABC News reported that after Black filed the lawsuit and failed to appear, Comer signaled the committee may move to hold Black in contempt of Congress, while also saying he wanted to “gain consensus and examine the legal path ahead before proceeding.”
Reuters said the committee ordered Black to provide copies of non-disclosure agreements as part of the probe, and that Black accused lawmakers of exceeding their constitutional authority when they subpoenaed him for the agreements.
Reuters added that the committee proceeded with Thursday’s deposition to formally document Black’s absence before discussing next steps, with Comer defending the probe’s scope as aimed at how federal authorities mishandled the Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell cases for decades.
Contempt threatened, privacy cited
ABC News said Comer, R-Ky., told reporters, “This is unacceptable,” and added, “I would hold him in contempt right now,” while also saying he did not want to harm the committee’s chances in court.
In a statement carried by multiple outlets, Black’s attorney Susan Estrich said, “This is no longer about finding the truth about Epstein. It is about trying to destroy Mr. Black,” and NBC News quoted Estrich denying that the committee’s confidentiality agreement focus justified any misconduct.
CBS News reported that the committee’s ranking member, California Rep. Robert Garcia, called for Black to be held in contempt and said, “by refusing to testify today, Leon Black is now defying two Congressional subpoenas.”
NBC News reported that Estrich also said Black was “misled” about the intent of Rep. James Comer’s interview, and that Black “fully complied with the Committee’s subpoena related to Epstein.”
Reuters said Black’s complaint alleged the committee weaponized a voluntary June interview to launch an unlawful “fishing expedition,” and that the subpoenas threaten to violate the privacy of women who have no connection to the Epstein scandal.
Investigation stakes and next steps
The dispute is tied to the committee’s effort to obtain nondisclosure agreements, with Reuters describing that Black refused to answer questions in June about victims of Epstein’s abuse and the agreements and declined to appear at the scheduled deposition.
“Our deposition is moving forward this morning for the record and there will be an empty chair for Mr. Black”
ABC News reported that the subpoenas also sought the production of purported nondisclosure agreements that Epstein survivors have discussed with committee investigators, and that Black’s lawsuit sought declaratory and injunctive relief preventing the committee from compelling compliance with the subpoenas.
NBC News said Comer reacted to Black’s failure to appear by stating, “Our deposition is moving forward this morning for the record and there will be an empty chair for Mr. Black,” and Reuters similarly said the committee was proceeding with the deposition to document the absence.
The underlying Epstein timeline in the coverage includes that Epstein was found dead in a New York City jail cell in 2019 and that his death was ruled a suicide, while Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after a 2021 conviction for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors.
Reuters also tied the congressional probe to Apollo fallout, saying Black relinquished the chief executive role at Apollo in 2021 after an external law firm found he had paid Epstein $158 million for tax and estate planning, and that Thursday’s scheduled deposition followed a voluntary private appearance in June.