Leon Black Sues Robert Garcia Over Epstein Defamation Claims

Leon Black filed a defamation lawsuit against Representative Robert Garcia of California on Wednesday.

The suit was filed in the Southern District of New York. Black alleges that Garcia has knowingly and willfully lied about him. The complaint states that Garcia defamed Black by claiming he was at the center of and directly involved with Jeffrey Epstein's crimes. Black is a former Wall Street private equity investor who maintained a business relationship with Epstein.

Garcia serves as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. That panel has led a bipartisan investigation into Epstein. The committee previously issued subpoenas to Black. In September, the committee voted unanimously to hold Black in contempt of Congress. The vote followed his refusal to comply with the subpoenas. Black sat for a voluntary closed-door transcribed interview with the committee over the summer but left before it concluded. Lawmakers later issued subpoenas to compel him to answer questions he did not address during that interview. Black did not appear for a subsequent deposition. He then sued the committee to block the subpoenas for his appearance and nondisclosure agreements tied to Epstein. That case is still being litigated.

In a September statement, Garcia responded to Black's earlier lawsuit against the committee. Garcia said Black funded Epstein's abuse and trafficking of women. He added that multiple women have accused Black of sexual assault. Garcia called Black's connections to Epstein and his unwillingness to cooperate unacceptable. A spokesperson for Garcia did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new Wednesday lawsuit. In a statement on Wednesday, a spokesperson for Black wrote that the investor has never abused a woman. The spokesperson said Black has never been with an underage woman and was never involved with sex trafficking. The spokesperson also stated that Black never paid Epstein for women.

Black stepped down from Apollo Global Management in 2021. That was the hedge fund he co-founded. The firm conducted an independent review of his ties to Epstein. The review found that Black was not involved in Epstein's criminal activities, a finding Black has maintained. The Justice Department reviewed the contempt referral on September 16. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said it would review the referral carefully. The office stated it would not hesitate to pursue additional cases where the evidence supports them. No charges have been filed against Black.

Democrats are set to take control of the House in January. That move positions Garcia to become the new chair of the Oversight Committee.