Billionaire investor Leon Black stormed out of a closed-door congressional hearing on Friday after refusing to answer questions about non-disclosure agreements related to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Black, who testified voluntarily before the House Oversight Committee, left the hearing when asked about the agreements, which are at the center of the committee’s investigation into Epstein’s connections to the wealthy and powerful.
Epstein Investigation
The committee is seeking to determine whether Epstein was involved in the creation or funding of non-disclosure agreements that may have silenced victims of his alleged abuse.
Black’s attorneys confirmed that he walked out of the hearing after his legal team made their final comments, and the committee has since issued two subpoenas for Black to share the non-disclosure agreements and give an on-camera deposition under oath.
Black has denied any wrongdoing and claims he was deceived by Epstein, who he hired as a wealth management adviser and paid $158 million over the course of their years-long association.
Implications and Reactions
The committee’s top Democrat, Robert Garcia, said Black had a chance to “do the right thing and help us bring justice to the survivors” but instead “ran out of the room” when pressed for information about the non-disclosure agreements.
The hearing is part of a broader investigation into Epstein’s connections to the wealthy and powerful, and the use of non-disclosure agreements to silence victims of alleged abuse.
