Epstein Survivors Urge Leon Black to Cooperate With House Panel

More than a dozen survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse have called on billionaire Leon Black to appear before the House oversight committee to clarify his connections to the late disgraced financier and convicted sex offender.

In a letter released Wednesday, the survivors urged Black to comply with congressional subpoenas ahead of a Thursday deposition before the committee. "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."

Black, a New York private equity investor, paid Epstein tens of millions of dollars in fees for what he has described as tax and estate-planning services. He has already faced accusations of purposely delaying and disrupting the committee's inquiry.

The survivors' letter said 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." It added: "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."

Last week, House oversight committee chairman James Comer, a Republican, threatened to hold Black in contempt if he fails to fully cooperate with the investigation. As of Tuesday, Black had not confirmed his appearance, a person familiar with the matter told the Guardian.

In a previous statement to the committee in June, Black denied knowledge of Epstein's crimes, writing that he "did not know about this nefarious activity until Epstein was charged with trafficking in July 2019." He acknowledged he was aware Epstein had pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges involving prostitution with a minor.

In a House floor speech this week, Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who recently lost his primary to a Trump-backed challenger, read aloud the names of several Epstein associates, including Black, and called on the Justice Department to investigate those he called "perpetrators" of Epstein's crimes. Massie also noted that nearly a year after Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, millions of Epstein-related files remain unreleased.