Congress subpoenas Leon Black over Epstein-linked nondisclosure agreements
Congress forced Leon Black back after he refused to answer questions about Epstein-linked NDAs, issuing two subpoenas and setting a videotaped deposition for July 16.
House Oversight Chair James Comer issued two subpoenas after Leon Black refused to answer questions about nondisclosure agreements during a closed-door interview on Capitol Hill Friday, one demanding all NDAs Black is party to and another compelling him to return for a videotaped deposition on July 16, 2026.
The committee wants to know whether Jeffrey Epstein helped draft the agreements and whether he played any role in arranging payments to women connected to them. Black’s lawyer, Susan Estrich, rejected the premise and said Epstein had no involvement in any NDAs.
Black, the former co-founder and chief executive of Apollo Global Management, stepped down in 2021 amid fallout over his ties to Epstein. In prepared remarks, Black plans to tell Congress that Epstein duped him and that he did not understand the extent of Epstein’s crimes. He also intends to deny that he abused women, had sex with minors or engaged in sex trafficking. Black said Epstein solved a major estate problem for him and that the money he paid the financier was for legitimate tax and estate planning advice.
A review commissioned by Apollo in 2021 found that Black paid Epstein $158 million from 2012 to 2017 for tax, estate planning and related services. Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden said in a June 4, 2026 referral that his four-year investigation found Black paid Epstein $170 million over five years. Wyden also said the arrangement raised questions about Epstein helping manage women Black had reached NDAs or settlements with, and possibly helping Black pay women.
Wyden highlighted Black’s $62.5 million settlement with the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2023, which avoided criminal prosecution in the territory and was tied to Epstein-related claims. Black is the 16th person to appear before the House panel in its broader investigation into Epstein’s network of wealth and influence. He also appears in Epstein-related files released by the U.S. Department of Justice and in birthday messages the House committee released last year, including a poem attributed to him. Black has not been criminally charged and denies separate sexual assault allegations against him.
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