Leon Black Sues House Oversight Leader Over Epstein Defamation Claims
The billionaire claims Rep. Robert Garcia knowingly lied about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein in a federal filing in New York.
By Ayanda Boateng ·
Leon Black, the former Wall Street investor, has filed a new lawsuit against Rep. Robert Garcia in the Southern District of New York. The suit, filed on Wednesday, alleges that Garcia defamed Black with specific comments regarding the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Garcia currently serves as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, the body that has led congressional probes into Epstein’s estate. Black accuses Garcia of knowingly and willfully lying by stating that Black was at the center of and directly involved in Epstein’s crimes. The lawsuit seeks to address these public statements made by the representative.
The legal dispute follows a contentious summer in which Black interacted with the Republican-led committee. Garcia issued subpoenas after Black left a voluntary, closed-door interview before it concluded. Black subsequently sued the committee to block the subpoenas, a case that remains in litigation. The committee voted unanimously in September to hold Black in contempt of Congress for his refusal to comply with their demands.
Garcia responded to Black’s original suit against the committee in September with a public statement. He argued that Black funded Epstein’s abuse and trafficking of women and that multiple women had accused Black of sexual assault. Garcia called Black’s connections to Epstein and his lack of cooperation unacceptable. A spokesperson for Garcia did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the new lawsuit filed Wednesday.
A spokesperson for Black issued a statement on Wednesday defending the billionaire’s record. The representative stated that Black has never abused a woman, has never been with an underage woman, has never been involved with sex trafficking, and never paid Epstein for women. Black stepped down from Apollo Global Management in 2021 after an independent review found he was not involved in Epstein’s criminal activities, a finding Black has consistently supported.
The Justice Department reviewed the contempt referral in September. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said it would examine the case carefully and pursue additional cases where evidence supports them. No formal charges have been filed against Black to date.
Democrats are scheduled to take control of the House in January. Garcia is expected to become the new chair of the Oversight Committee when that shift in power occurs.
