House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Leon Black Over NDAs

Billionaire investor Leon Black was subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee on Friday after he declined to answer questions about nondisclosure agreements during a closed-door interview about his financial relationship with the late Jeffrey Epstein. The committee issued two subpoenas, one compelling Black to testify under oath on July 16 and another demanding information about NDAs between Black and women.

Black, the co-founder and former CEO of Apollo Global Management, appeared voluntarily for the interview, which ended abruptly after about an hour when the subpoenas were served. Committee Chairman James Comer said Black refused to answer specific questions about the NDAs, which lawmakers believe are vital to their bipartisan investigation into Epstein’s network. Comer said the committee wants to know if Epstein was involved in writing the agreements or in awarding funds to the women who signed them.

In his opening statement, Black defended the $158 million he paid Epstein between 2012 and 2017, stating the payments were for legitimate tax, estate planning, and family office advisory services. He denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s criminal activities. “I...