Leon Black has sued the House Oversight Committee in an effort to block or invalidate subpoenas seeking his testimony and records about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Black argues that the committee has exceeded its constitutional authority and that its investigation lacks a legitimate legislative purpose, while his attorney Susan Estrich has characterized the inquiry as a fishing expedition designed to damage him. The dispute centers heavily on Black’s financial relationship with Epstein and on nondisclosure agreements that congressional investigators believe could shed light on people or transactions tied to Epstein’s network. Black paid Epstein roughly $158 million for tax, estate-planning and related financial services, and that relationship ultimately helped force his departure from Apollo Global Management. Black has maintained that he did not know about Epstein’s abuse, famously saying he knew “Jekyll” but not “Hyde,” but the sheer scale of the payments and his continued association with Epstein have made him a central figure in Congress’s investigation.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer has responded by accusing Black of hiding behind litigation to avoid answering questions, while ranking Democrat Robert Garcia has called for contempt proceedings over what he described as Black’s defiance of two congressional subpoenas. Comer says Black’s testimony is especially important because he was one of Epstein’s paying clients and possesses multiple NDAs that investigators want to examine. The timing of the lawsuit has added another layer to the fight because the current Congress ends on January 3, 2027, meaning a prolonged court battle could potentially force the committee to reissue subpoenas in the next session. The confrontation has therefore moved beyond a simple request for testimony and into a direct constitutional and procedural clash over Congress’s power to investigate Epstein’s associates. Black is trying to keep the committee from compelling him to testify or surrender certain records, while lawmakers are signaling that they may use contempt powers to force the issue.
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