Former Apollo CEO Leon Black sues over subpoenas in Epstein case
Former Apollo Global Management CEO Leon Black has sued the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He is seeking to block two subpoenas for nondisclosure agreements that the committee is demanding as part of its investigation into his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
As CNBC Top News reports, Black’s lawyers said he is also refusing to appear before the committee on Thursday morning. The committee’s leading Democrat called for Black to be formally held in contempt of Congress.
Defense arguments
Black’s lawyers said that the nondisclosure agreements the committee seeks are unrelated to his relationship with Epstein. One of the attorneys, Susan Estrich, called the committee’s requests a “fishing expedition” that, she said, exceeds the body’s authority.
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The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington argues that the subpoenas are invalid to the extent that they demand private information with no legitimate connection to the committee’s legislative purpose. The document also states that disclosure could affect women who have no known or public connection to Epstein, agreed to confidentiality, and cannot protect their privacy before the committee.
Committee response
California Congressman Robert Garcia, the committee’s leading Democrat, said that Black’s refusal to testify amounts to noncompliance with two congressional subpoenas. He called for proceedings to hold Black in contempt of Congress to begin immediately.
Garcia also said that Black transferred more than $180 million to Epstein over six years. The congressman claims that Black financed the abuse and trafficking of women carried out by Epstein, while several women accused Black himself of sexual abuse. In June, Black refused to answer the committee’s questions during a closed meeting, CNBC reported.
