Billionaire Leon Black skips House deposition over Epstein ties, sues committee

Billionaire financier Leon Black skipped a scheduled deposition before the US House oversight committee on Thursday, where he was expected to answer questions about his ties to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Instead, his legal team filed a lawsuit arguing the committee lacks the authority to force him to hand over non-disclosure agreements it believes Epstein may have helped draft.

Black was one of Epstein's most significant clients over several years, and the committee has been examining the nature of their relationship along with any related NDAs. Although Black's name has surfaced repeatedly in documents tied to the Epstein case, he denies any wrongdoing and has said he regrets his association with Epstein.

In a statement Thursday, Black's lawyers accused the committee of overstepping its authority, saying the inquiry has shifted from uncovering facts about Epstein to an effort to damage Black personally. The lawsuit, filed in the US district court for the District of Columbia, seeks to block enforcement of the committee's subpoenas.

Calls for contempt

Democratic representative Robert Garcia, the committee's ranking member, said Black is now defying two separate congressional subpoenas and called for him to be held in contempt immediately, describing his ties to Epstein and refusal to cooperate as unacceptable.

Black previously walked out of a committee interview in June after declining to answer questions about NDAs reportedly connected to Epstein. Committee chair James Comer also criticized Black for relying on litigation instead of providing answers, saying Thursday's deposition proceeded without him — leaving an empty chair — and that he would discuss next steps with committee members.