Billionaire Leon Black has filed a lawsuit against the House Oversight Committee to block a congressional subpoena demanding testimony about his financial relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, escalating a legal battle that crosses party lines.

Billionaire Challenges Congressional Authority

The former Apollo Global Management CEO, worth an estimated $13.8 billion, called the subpoena invalid and argued the congressional inquiry lacks any legitimate legislative purpose. Black’s attorney Susan Estrich claimed the oversight committee is conducting a fishing expedition that oversteps its authority and aims to destroy her client. The 75-year-old billionaire was identified as one of Epstein’s fee-paying clients who signed multiple nondisclosure agreements with the disgraced financier.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer accused Black of hiding behind litigation to avoid providing answers about his Epstein connections. Comer believes Black is attempting to run out the clock on the current congressional session, which ends January 3, 2027. After that date, the subpoena would require reissuing if Black refuses to appear voluntarily.

Bipartisan Push For Testimony

The case has united Democrats and Republicans in demanding accountability. Ranking member Robert Garcia stated that by refusing to testify, Black is now defying two congressional subpoenas and must be held in contempt immediately. The November 3 election outcome is unlikely to change the committee’s determination to force Black’s testimony and could potentially increase pressure on the businessman. Black claimed in June that he remained oblivious to Epstein’s abuse of women and girls, insisting he knew only one side of the financier’s personality.

Questions About Federal Investigation

Jeffrey Epstein died in his Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while facing federal sex trafficking charges, after previously pleading guilty in 2008 to Florida state charges involving soliciting prostitution from a minor. Last July, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memo refusing to release federal files on the case, stating no client list exists despite identifying over one thousand victims. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Epstein’s former neighbor, previously told reporters he believed the sex offender was the greatest blackmailer ever. The refusal to disclose additional information drew bipartisan criticism from lawmakers seeking accountability for Epstein’s associates.