Billionaire Stonewalls — Subpoenas Fly

Leon Black’s subpoena fight shows how far Congress may have to go to pry Epstein answers out of the powerful.

Quick Take

House Oversight Chair James Comer issued two subpoenas to Leon Black during a deposition.^[1]
Comer said Black refused to answer specific questions about nondisclosure agreements.^[1]^[5]
Senator Ron Wyden’s office says Black paid Jeffrey Epstein at least $158 million for tax and estate work.^[2]^[3]
Congress now wants Black to explain whether Epstein was involved in the agreements with women.^[5]

Comer Escalates the Epstein Probe

House Oversight Chair James Comer moved forcefully on Thursday when he issued two subpoenas to Leon Black.^[1] One subpoena demands all nondisclosure agreements Black is party to. The other orders Black back for a deposition on July 16.^[1] Comer said the move followed Black’s refusal to answer specific questions about those agreements.^[1]^[5]

That step puts fresh pressure on a witness with deep ties to Jeffrey Epstein and a long paper trail around money, taxes, and private deals. It also shows Congress is not satisfied with vague answers and closed-door maneuvering. For readers who are tired of elite circles hiding behind lawyers and secrecy, the subpoena is the kind of hard push that should have happened sooner.^[1]^[6]

What Lawmakers Say They Want

Comer said investigators want to know whether Epstein was involved in the nondisclosure agreements, whether he helped write them, and whether he helped provide money for them.^[5] The hearing record shows lawmakers are focused on who knew what, who paid whom, and why the agreements existed at all. That matters because secrecy is often the shield that protects the connected while victims and taxpayers are left with questions.^[5]^[8]

Senator Ron Wyden’s investigation adds another layer. His office says the Senate Finance Committee found Black paid Epstein $158 million between 2012 and 2017 for claimed tax and estate planning work.^[2]^[3] Wyden also says the committee found no formal services agreement and says some of the money appears tied to Epstein’s operations.^[2] Those claims are powerful, but they still leave room for Black to defend his conduct under oath.^[2]^[3]

Black’s Defense Still Faces Scrutiny

Black has said he paid Epstein for legitimate advice and did not know about Epstein’s criminal conduct until 2019.^[3]^[4] Apollo’s internal review, as described by NBC News, says Epstein’s work was reviewed by top legal and accounting firms and that Black had no knowledge of criminal activity.^[3] A federal judge also sanctioned a law firm in a related case after finding false evidence and misconduct by a plaintiff’s lawyer.^[5]^[6]

BREAKING on MS NOW:

House Oversight Chair James Comer says he just issued two subpoenas to billionaire and Epstein associate Leon Black — after he refused to answer questions about allegations that he signed NDAs with young women.

One subpoena is for Black to appear for a…

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 26, 2026

Even so, the current congressional fight is not mainly about old accusations alone. It is about documents, money flows, and the unanswered question of why such large sums moved without clearer paper trails.^[2]^[3] If Black’s account is solid, a sworn deposition should help him make that case. If it is not, Congress now has a duty to keep pressing until the record is clear.^[1]^[5]