Billionaire Leon Black skips Epstein deposition and sues House committee over subpoenas

By Joey Cappelletti, The Associated Press, September 3, 2026 - 6:44 am Washington — Billionaire Leon Black declined to appear for a sworn deposition before the House Oversight Committee on Thursday and instead filed suit challenging two subpoenas issued as part of the panel’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The committee served Black with the subpoenas during a closed‑door voluntary interview in June after lawmakers said he refused to answer questions about nondisclosure agreements. One subpoena sought his NDAs and related documents; the other compelled him to sit for a deposition. Black’s lawsuit argues the subpoenas exceed the committee’s authority by seeking private information unrelated to Epstein or any legitimate legislative purpose. It asks a federal judge to declare the subpoenas void and block the committee from enforcing them. “The Committee is connected a sportfishing expedition that oversteps its authorization and wholly ignores its responsibility,” Black’s attorney, Susan Estrich, said in a statement. “This is nary longer astir uncovering the information astir Epstein. It is astir trying to destruct Mr. Black.” Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, said Congress “must clasp him successful contempt immediately.” “By refusing to attest today, Leon Black is present defying 2 legislature subpoenas,” Garcia said. Black co‑founded Apollo Global Management and served as its chief executive before stepping down in 2021 amid fallout over his ties to Epstein. He is among several prominent figures examined in the committee’s probe of Epstein’s network of wealth and power, alongside former President Bill Clinton, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Microsoft co‑founder Bill Gates. Black’s name appears repeatedly in Justice Department files released related to the Epstein investigation, and he is featured in a collection of day‑to‑day messages sent to Epstein that the House committee disclosed last year, including a poem attributed to him that reads, “Blond, Red oregon Brun