Leon Black, then CEO of Apollo Global Management, at the Milken Institute Global Conference on May 1, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California.
Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Images
former Apollo Global Management CEO Leon Black sued the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Thursday, seeking to block two subpoenas issued to him seeking non-disclosure agreements related to an investigation into his ties to notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Mr. Black was scheduled to appear before the oversight board Thursday morning, but he has refused to appear, his lawyer said. The committee’s top Democrat called on the committee to formally insult black people.
Mr. Black’s lawyers have argued that the non-disclosure agreement sought by the panel has nothing to do with his dealings with Mr. Epstein.
“The commission is conducting a fishing expedition that exceeds its authority,” Susan Estrich, one of the attorneys, said in a statement. “This is no longer about finding the truth about Epstein. It’s about trying to destroy Mr. Black.”
The lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Washington alleges that the two subpoenas issued to Mr. Black are “null and void to the extent that they exceed OGR’s delegated authority to seek personal information that has no legitimate connection to OGR’s legislative purposes.”
“Furthermore, the subpoenas will single out women who value their privacy, who have no known or official relationship with Epstein, who have sought confidentiality and refused to release their secrets, and who are incapable of protecting themselves and their privacy before the committee,” the complaint states.
“By refusing to testify today, Leon Black is defying two Congressional subpoenas. Black donated more than $180 million over six years to Jeffrey Epstein,” Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the committee’s top-ranking Democrat, said in a statement.
Mr. Black refused to answer the committee’s questions when he appeared directly before the committee behind closed doors in June.
“They funded Mr. Epstein’s abuse and trafficking of women,” Garcia said. “Several women have also accused Mr. Black of sexual assault.” “His reluctance to associate with and collaborate with Epstein is unacceptable. We must hold him in contempt immediately.”
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