The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed billionaire Leon Black on Friday during a closed-door interview about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) issued two subpoenas after Black declined to answer questions about nondisclosure agreements (NDAs).
One subpoena requires Black to produce copies of any NDAs he has agreed to, while the second mandates his return for a deposition on July 16. Comer stated the committee seeks to determine Epstein's involvement in the NDAs, including whether he was involved in drafting or funding them.
Black's attorney, Susan Estrich, called the subpoenas a "planned political stunt" and denied Epstein's involvement in any NDAs. She emphasized that the committee did not ask about payments to Epstein for professional services.
Black, the co-founder of Apollo Global Management, previously testified that he paid Epstein for legitimate financial advice and was unaware of his crimes until 2019. He denied knowledge of Epstein's misconduct in his opening statement, calling accusations against him "demonstrably false."
The committee has reportedly discussed subpoenaing others linked to Epstein, including associates accused of misconduct by his accusers. Some accusers have signed NDAs with Epstein's associates, prohibiting them from speaking publicly about their experiences.