Billionaire Leon Black Sues US House Panel Over Jeffrey Epstein Subpoenas

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PublishedSeptember 3, 2026, 5:22 PM UTC

Leon Black, a billionaire who was close with Jeffrey Epstein, is seen arriving for a closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee at the US Capitol in Washington, DC [File: J Scott Applewhite/The Associated Press]

Billionaire Leon Black has taken legal action against a United States House of Representatives committee investigating convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, seeking to block congressional subpoenas issued as part of the probe into Epstein and his influential associates.

Black, the co-founder and former chief executive of private equity firm Apollo Global Management, filed the lawsuit on Thursday after declining to appear for a scheduled deposition before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

The dispute has intensified a confrontation between the billionaire and lawmakers, who say Black is required to answer questions and provide information connected to his relationship with Epstein. Black’s legal team, however, has accused the congressional panel of exceeding its authority and conducting what it described as an improper investigation.

Black had previously appeared voluntarily before the committee in June. During that appearance, lawmakers said he declined to answer questions concerning nondisclosure agreements associated with Epstein.

Following that voluntary interview, the committee issued two subpoenas to Black. One requires him to provide documents concerning his relationship with Epstein, while the other orders him to appear for a deposition before the committee.

Black’s latest lawsuit seeks to prevent the subpoenas from being enforced, setting the stage for a legal battle over the authority of Congress to compel testimony and documents from an individual whose name has appeared in files connected to the Epstein investigation.

His lawyer, Susan Estrich, strongly criticised the committee’s approach, arguing that lawmakers had gone beyond what was necessary to establish facts about Epstein.

“This is no longer about finding the truth about Epstein. It is about trying to destroy Mr Black,” Estrich said.

She described the congressional investigation as “a fishing expedition that oversteps its authority and completely ignores its responsibility”.

The committee’s Democratic leadership responded by calling for Congress to take action against Black over his refusal to comply with the subpoenas.

Representative Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, called for Black to be held in contempt of Congress “immediately”.

“By refusing to testify today, Leon Black is now defying two congressional subpoenas,” Garcia said.

A congressional contempt process would ordinarily require the full House of Representatives to vote on whether to hold an individual in contempt. If the House approves such a measure, the matter can be referred to the US attorney for the District of Columbia, who may convene a grand jury to consider a potential indictment.

However, it remained uncertain whether the Republican-controlled House would pursue that course against Black.

The potential contempt proceedings add another layer to an increasingly contentious investigation that is separate from the US Department of Justice’s own investigation into Epstein.

Black Among Influential Figures Named in Epstein Files

Black is among several prominent figures whose names have repeatedly appeared in a collection of files released by the Department of Justice in recent months as part of the continuing scrutiny of Epstein’s activities and his connections to wealthy and influential individuals.

The release of the material followed legislation backed by lawmakers from both major US political parties requiring the disclosure of documents. The push for greater transparency came amid growing speculation and public interest over whether wealthy and powerful individuals may have been involved in Epstein’s alleged crimes.

Epstein was awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges when he was found dead in a Manhattan detention facility in 2019.

Despite the extensive scrutiny surrounding the case and Epstein’s network, the supplied report notes that only Epstein and his confidante Ghislaine Maxwell have been charged in connection with the allegations.

The House Oversight Committee has expanded its own investigation by requesting appearances from several influential individuals. Those called to appear include former Democratic President Bill Clinton, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

The committee’s investigation is distinct from the Department of Justice probe, although both are focused on information surrounding Epstein and his activities.

Pressure Mounts Over Release of Epstein Records

The congressional investigation has unfolded alongside continuing disputes over the release of documents held by the Department of Justice.

Lawmakers from both parties have accused the department of failing to provide all documents relating to Epstein, despite the release of Justice Department records, photographs and other files.

The disagreement over the records has contributed to calls for additional legislation aimed at forcing the government to make more information public.

Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican and prominent critic of President Donald Trump, has been among those seeking congressional consideration of a second measure known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act II.

The proposed legislation would expand the ability of state attorneys general and survivors of Epstein’s abuse to take legal action against the Department of Justice in an effort to compel the release of additional unredacted records.

The controversy has also raised questions about the extent to which Congress can compel testimony from people whose names appear in the Epstein material, particularly where those individuals dispute the scope or purpose of the investigation.

Trump Not Called by House Panel

The House investigation has so far included several prominent figures, but the committee has not called President Donald Trump to testify.

Trump has acknowledged that he had a friendship with Epstein that lasted for years before the two fell out in the early 2000s.

The committee’s decision not to call Trump comes as lawmakers continue to debate the handling and disclosure of Epstein-related material and examine the relationships between Epstein and members of wealthy and influential circles.

The broader congressional inquiry has therefore brought renewed attention to individuals whose names appear in the released records, while also producing disagreements over what lawmakers can demand from witnesses.

Black’s lawsuit now adds a direct legal challenge to the committee’s authority. By seeking to block the subpoenas, the billionaire is asking the courts to intervene as lawmakers attempt to compel his testimony and documents relating to Epstein.

The immediate dispute centres on Black’s refusal to attend the scheduled deposition and his challenge to the two congressional subpoenas. The committee, meanwhile, maintains that his failure to appear constitutes defiance of congressional demands and has raised the possibility of contempt proceedings.

Whether Congress ultimately pursues a contempt vote remains uncertain, particularly given the Republican control of the House. Any such move would require action by the full chamber before the matter could be referred to federal prosecutors.

The confrontation between Black and the Oversight Committee comes as scrutiny of Epstein’s network continues through separate congressional and Justice Department processes. The release of additional files has kept pressure on authorities to disclose more information, while lawmakers continue to debate the appropriate mechanisms for obtaining records they believe remain undisclosed.

Black’s lawsuit is therefore the latest development in a broader dispute over Epstein-related records, congressional oversight and the extent of information that should be made public. For now, the legal challenge places the enforcement of the subpoenas at the centre of the dispute between the billionaire and the House committee.