Leon Black used his appearance before the House Oversight Committee to defend his long-running relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and explain the extraordinary $158 million he paid him between 2013 and 2017. Black maintained that the money purchased legitimate tax, estate-planning and family-office services that allegedly saved him between $1 billion and $2 billion. He said Epstein deceived him about the deductibility of his fees, exaggerated his influence and repeatedly demanded more money, eventually causing Black to end their relationship in 2018. Black denied knowing about Epstein’s trafficking operation, abusing any woman, having sex with anyone underage, paying Epstein for access to women or being blackmailed by him. At the same time, he acknowledged spending considerable time around Epstein, meeting prominent figures through him and contributing a birthday poem describing Epstein’s interest in attractive women around the world. Although Black later insisted Epstein was not a “dear friend,” the birthday message itself called him exactly that and was signed “love and kisses.”

The questioning became confrontational when committee investigators turned to Black’s relationships with women and nondisclosure agreements. Black acknowledged a six-year extramarital affair and confirmed a settlement that included monthly payments, loan forgiveness and money connected to a British visa, while saying he regarded the woman’s demands as blackmail and had discussed the situation with Epstein. He and his attorneys then refused to disclose how many NDAs he had signed, their terms or who else in his social circle had such agreements, arguing that confidentiality provisions prevented him from answering during a voluntary interview. Committee officials rejected that position and served Black with subpoenas for relevant documents and a later deposition. His lawyers denounced the move as a political stunt and abruptly ended the interview before lawmakers could fully question him about the $158 million in payments or the broader allegations surrounding his association with Epstein.


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