Billionaire Leon Black Sues House Oversight Over Subpoena For Epstein Testimony

Billionaire investor Leon Black has filed a lawsuit against Congress, demanding a federal judge block subpoenas issued by the House Oversight Committee. The subpoenas, served in June, sought private information unrelated to Jeffrey Epstein or any legislative purpose. Black's attorney, Susan Estrich, claims the committee is on a "fishing expedition" that ignores its responsibility and oversteps its authority.

Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, stated that Congress must hold Black in contempt for refusing to testify. Black, co-founder and former CEO of Apollo Global Management, stepped down in 2021 amid scrutiny over his ties to Epstein. He is among several high-profile individuals investigated in connection with Epstein, including former President Bill Clinton, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

Black is named repeatedly in Justice Department files related to the Epstein investigation and appears in birthday messages sent to Epstein, including a poem attributed to him.