Billionaire financier Leon Black failed to appear on Thursday for a scheduled deposition before the House oversight committee regarding his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Instead, the Apollo Global Management co-founder has filed a lawsuit against the committee to block subpoenas issued to him, arguing that the panel lacks the authority to compel him to turn over non-disclosure agreements.
The conflict follows a private voluntary interview in June, which Black abruptly left after reportedly declining to answer questions about non-disclosure agreements. Lawmakers served Black with two subpoenas during that session. The committee is investigating the relationship between the two men as well as the existence of any NDAs that Epstein may have helped Black craft.
Black's attorneys maintain that the NDAs being sought by the panel are unrelated to his dealings with Epstein. However, more than a dozen survivors of Epstein's abuse have urged Black to comply with the congressional subpoenas and appear before the committee to clarify his connections to the convicted sex offender.
Black, who was a top Epstein client over several years and whose name has appeared repeatedly in Epstein files, has denied any wrongdoing. He has also stated that he regrets dealing with the disgraced financier.