Leon Black, the billionaire financier and former chief executive of Apollo Global Management, is set to testify Friday before a House oversight committee investigating Jeffrey Epstein's criminal network and the financier's connections to it.
The closed-door session marks an escalation in scrutiny of Black's relationship with the convicted sex trafficker, particularly following the Department of Justice's release of millions of documents related to Epstein over the past year. Those disclosures have reignited questions about payments and services Black received from Epstein between 2012 and 2017.
Black paid Epstein approximately $170 million in fees during that period, making him the financier's largest client after Epstein's 2008 guilty plea to Florida prostitution charges involving a minor. Black has characterized the arrangement as straightforward tax and estate-planning services for himself and his family office.
The relationship has drawn fire from Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, who characterized Epstein as having served as a "fixer" regarding women paid substantial sums in exchange for silence. Wyden's letters to the House committee alleged that Black benefited from such arrangements and used Epstein to conceal the payments. Black's representatives have flatly rejected the senator's assertions as baseless.
Federal records released this year included a document titled "PROMINENT NAMES" compiled during the FBI's Epstein investigation. Black's name appeared alongside allegations that Epstein arranged massages, including claims of sexual misconduct. The FBI document did not indicate that investigators verified these allegations. Black has denied all misconduct allegations.
Three civil lawsuits alleging sexual abuse have been filed against Black. One suit was dismissed, another withdrawn, and a third faces a termination motion. Black's legal team has stated the allegations are false and that subsequent events have validated his account.
The Manhattan district attorney's office examined allegations against Black, but no charges have been filed. The U.S. Virgin Islands conducted a separate civil investigation into Black's ties to Epstein and concluded with a $62.5 million settlement agreement. The settlement explicitly stated it should not be construed as evidence of wrongdoing.
In 2020, Apollo commissioned an independent investigation by the law firm Dechert LLP into Black's relationship with Epstein. The review examined 60,000 documents and interviewed more than 20 witnesses. Dechert concluded there was no evidence Black or Apollo employees participated in Epstein's criminal activities and found no indication that Epstein introduced Black to any underage women.
The Dechert report did acknowledge that Black and others at Apollo were aware of Epstein's 2008 conviction for solicitation of prostitution and procuring a minor for prostitution. However, the report found no evidence they knew about the scope of his subsequent criminal activity before those crimes became public.
Black stepped down as Apollo's chairman and CEO in 2021 amid the intensifying scrutiny. The House committee sent Black a formal request to participate in an interview in March. Committee staff plan to release a transcript of Friday's testimony at a later date, consistent with its practice on previous Epstein-related interviews.
Black's representatives said he looks forward to testifying and providing clarity to the committee's investigation. They have maintained his position that all allegations stem from Epstein's fabrications and exaggerations.
Author James Rodriguez: "Black's Friday appearance won't settle anything with Wyden and House Democrats looking for a scalp, but the hard fact remains that no criminal charges have materialized despite years of investigations."
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