Leon Black Subpoenaed Over Epstein Links After Walking Out of Hearing

Billionaire investor Leon Black was issued two subpoenas by a congressional committee after he walked out early from a voluntary testimony session concerning his relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Members of the US House Oversight Committee, which is investigating Epstein, clashed with Black behind closed doors on Friday over non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) the Apollo Global Management co-founder is alleged to have entered into with women.

The committee issued one subpoena requiring Black to appear for a deposition on 16 July, according to a statement from the panel. A second subpoena compels him to produce the NDAs for review.

In his opening statement to the committee, Black said he had never abused women and was not blackmailed by Epstein, his former friend and client. However, after questioning turned to NDAs, he left the session early — something the committee chair said he had never witnessed before.

“Mr Black stated he would not answer questions about NDAs,” James Comer, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said in a statement. “Answers about the terms and substance of these NDAs are critical to our investigation. For this reason, I issued subpoenas to Mr Black for the NDAs and to appear for a deposition in the near future.”

Black, 74, had earlier said he agreed to appear before the panel to “set the record straight” on his relationship with Epstein and the payments he made to him over the course of their association.

“I was not involved with, and had no knowledge of, any of Epstein’s heinous conduct,” he said.

Moments after Black left the hearing room, his lawyer Susan Estrich described the issuing of subpoenas during his appearance as “nothing more than a planned political stunt”.

“Mr Black came here voluntarily to assist the committee,” Estrich told reporters. “They made a premeditated political decision to serve him with subpoenas after less than an hour of questioning, and before they even asked a single question about his legitimate payments to Epstein. This was nothing more than a planned political stunt.”

The top Democrat on the committee, Robert Garcia of California, welcomed the move to issue subpoenas.

“It was clear from the moment this interview started that Leon Black was not going to answer critical questions around our investigation,” Garcia said. “It is our job to secure justice for survivors who have been abused, trafficked and raped by Epstein and other co-conspirators.”

 
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