Leon Black sues Garcia over Epstein claims
The billionaire filed a defamation suit in New York after the California representative called him directly involved in Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes.
By Aiko Soto ·
Leon Black filed a defamation lawsuit against Rep. Robert Garcia in the Southern District of New York on Wednesday.
Black, a former private equity executive, accused Garcia of knowingly and willfully lying about him. The suit cites specific remarks by Garcia describing Black as being at the center of and directly involved in the criminal activities of Jeffrey Epstein.
Garcia serves as the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. That body has led the congressional investigation into Epstein. The committee has previously targeted Black with subpoenas and voted unanimously in September to hold him in contempt for refusing to comply.
A spokesperson for Black stated that the billionaire has never abused a woman or been with an underage woman. The statement further claimed Black was never involved with sex trafficking and never paid Epstein for women.
Garcia had previously defended his position in a statement issued in September. That response followed an earlier lawsuit Black filed against the committee itself. Garcia argued that Black funded Epstein’s abuse and trafficking of women. He noted that multiple women had accused Black of sexual assault and called his lack of cooperation unacceptable. A spokesperson for Garcia did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new lawsuit.
Black stepped down from Apollo Global Management in 2021 after an independent review of his ties to Epstein. That review found he was not involved in Epstein’s criminal activities, a conclusion Black has consistently supported. He participated in a voluntary, closed-door transcribed interview with the Oversight Committee over the summer but left before the session concluded.
Lawmakers issued subpoenas to compel further answers, but Black did not appear for a later deposition. He sued the committee to block the subpoenas, a case still under litigation. The House voted to hold him in contempt, and the Justice Department said on Sept. 16 that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia would review the referral carefully. No charges have been filed against Black.
