Survivors demand Black release Epstein NDAs before Thursday testimony
Billionaire private equity investor Leon Black is scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee on Thursday for a deposition in the panel’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s associates, with Chairman James Comer, a Republican, threatening last week to hold him in contempt of Congress if he fails to fully cooperate. As of Tuesday, Black had not confirmed his appearance, according to a person familiar with the matter.
More than a dozen survivors of Epstein’s abuse released a letter Wednesday calling on Black to comply with the committee’s subpoena and turn over all responsive nondisclosure agreements in his possession. “We are survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s abuse and exploitation, and we are calling on Leon Black to appear as required before the House oversight committee on Thursday,” the statement said. “We are also calling on Black to fully comply with the committee’s subpoenas, including its demand that he produce all responsive nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) in his possession.”
The letter argued that “Black’s use of NDAs underscores why Congress must scrutinize the agreements in his possession and determine whether they shed light on his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and others in Epstein’s orbit,” and warned that “if Black continues to withhold responsive records or refuses to comply with the committee’s demands, Congress should use every tool available to enforce its subpoenas.”
Black, a New York-based private equity investor, paid Epstein tens of millions of dollars in fees for work he has described as tax and estate-planning services. He has faced accusations of purposely delaying and disrupting the panel’s inquiry.
In a statement submitted to the oversight committee in June, Black wrote that “I did not know about this nefarious activity until Epstein was charged with trafficking in July 2019.” Black acknowledged, however, that he was aware Epstein had pleaded guilty in 2008 “to state charges relating to prostitution involving a minor.”
On the House floor this week, Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who recently lost his primary to a challenger backed by Donald Trump, read aloud the names of several friends and associates of Epstein, including Black. Massie called on the Department of Justice to investigate the group, whom he referred to as “perpetrators” of Epstein’s crimes. Massie also noted that despite the fact it has been nearly a year since Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, millions of Epstein files remain unreleased.