‘Laughable’: Top House Democrat skewers billionaire Leon Black lawsuit over Epstein subpoena

Representative Robert Garcia blasted a lawsuit filed by private equity billionaire Leon Black against the House Oversight Committee, calling it laughable and urging colleagues to move toward holding Black in contempt of Congress. Black filed suit hours before he was due to sit for a subpoenaed deposition on his financial relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, after already refusing in June to answer questions about nondisclosure agreements he signed with the late financier.

Lawmakers say Black paid Epstein roughly $180 million for investment advice and remained friendly with him even after learning of his crimes, a characterization Black disputes; he maintains he only learned of Epstein's criminal conduct in 2019. Committee chairman James Comer called Black's litigation a way of hiding from answers the American people deserve, though he stopped short of committing to a contempt vote.

Garcia argued the lawsuit's timing was designed to run out the clock before the House recesses for the midterm campaign season, and noted that if Comer does not pursue contempt before the end of this Congress, he will if Democrats retake the majority and he becomes chairman.

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