Billionaire Leon Black sues House Oversight Committee over subpoena in Epstein probe
Private equity billionaire Leon Black filed a lawsuit Thursday in federal court against the House Oversight Committee and Chairman James Comer before failing to appear under subpoena for a deposition under oath before the panel as part of its probe into the government's investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
After Black filed the suit and failed to appear for the deposition, Comer signaled that the committee may move to hold Black in contempt of Congress -- but said he wants to gain consensus and examine the legal path ahead before proceeding.
"This is unacceptable," Comer, R-Ky., said. "We're very disappointed. I don't think I need to tell anyone in here how important of a witness Mr. Black is to this investigation. So we're going to huddle up as a committee and talk about next steps with respect to Mr. Black, and we'll go from there."
"I would hold him in contempt right now," Comer added. "Of all the powerful billionaires and political people we brought in for interviews and depositions, this is the first time anyone's filed suit. I don't want to do anything to harm our chances in court."
In June, the panel issued subpoenas to Black after he appeared for a transcribed interview and refused to answer questions. The subpoenas called for his appearance for a deposition, as well as the production of purported nondisclosure agreements that Epstein survivors have discussed with committee investigators.
Black's lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, asserts 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."
Black's attorneys also contend that the subpoenas would also "expose women who value their privacy," who have no known or public connection to Epstein -- while contending that the committee lacks statutory authority to enforce its subpoenas in federal court.
Black is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief preventing the committee from compelling compliance with the subpoenas.
"The Committee is on a fishing expedition that oversteps its authority and completely ignores its responsibility," said Black's attorney, Susan Estrich. "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."
Black, who maintained a social relationship with Epstein since the mid-1990s and eventually paid him more than $170 million for "tax and estate planning advice," according to the Senate Finance Committee, appeared in June before the Oversight panel as part of its ongoing Epstein probe.
Black has denied wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein's crimes, though his financial payments to Epstein served as a lifeline to the convicted sex offender in the years after Epstein's 2008 prison sentence for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
With time running short on the 119th Congress, Comer and Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the Oversight Committee, both believe Black is trying to run out the clock -- complicating the committee's effort to conclude its investigation before the end of the 119th Congress.
"Obviously, we're running up against the clock at the end of this Congress, I'm sure his legal team knows that. So we've got to be smart from here on in," Comer said.
"What he's trying to do is to slow the process down of getting us the information," Garcia, D-Calif., said. "He's very aware that Comer no longer is going to be the chairperson. But what Mr. Black should understand is that we will be even more aggressive than Chairman Comer as it relates to his testimony."
"Leon Black provided over $180 million to Jeffrey Epstein. $180 million, and he has yet to tell the committee or the public as to exactly what that funded and why he did it," Garcia said.
