- Billionaire investor Leon Black refused to attend a deposition before the House Oversight Committee on Thursday and instead filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block subpoenas issued as part of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
- Black's lawsuit contends that the committee's subpoenas exceed its legislative authority by demanding private documents, with his attorney Susan Estrich accusing lawmakers of engaging in a “fishing expedition” aimed at destroying her client.
- Bipartisan leadership on the committee, including Republican Chair James Comer and ranking Democrat Robert Garcia, condemned the lawsuit and were considering holding Black in contempt of Congress.
- The House Oversight Committee originally served Black with two subpoenas during a voluntary June interview after he refused to answer questions regarding nondisclosure agreements, according to lawmakers.
- Black, the co-founder and former chief executive of Apollo Global Management who stepped down in 2021 during the fallout over his ties to Epstein, allegedly paid the disgraced financier $158 million between 2012 and 2017 for tax and estate planning services.
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