Billionaire financier Leon Black has filed a federal defamation lawsuit against U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia, accusing the California Democrat of falsely tying him to Jeffrey Epstein's crimes during a televised interview. Black is seeking a jury trial and $7.25 million in combined compensatory and punitive damages, according to the lawsuit filed in New York on Wednesday.
The suit centers on remarks Garcia made during a TV interview, in which he said Black “is at the center of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes” and that Black “was one of the last people to actually interact” with Epstein before Epstein died by suicide in prison, according to the Associated Press. Garcia also said survivors had credibly named Black as involved in direct abuse of women and directly involved with Epstein. Black, through his lawyers, asserts the statements were false and malicious, according to WKMG.
Black says Garcia's comments caused ongoing harm, including threats to his physical safety, hateful messages, and damage to his business and philanthropic endeavors. Garcia's office did not immediately comment on the lawsuit. Garcia is a Democratic U.S. representative from California.
A Yearslong Fight Over Subpoenas and Testimony
The defamation claim arrives amid a broader standoff between Black and the House Oversight Committee, which has spent months pressing him for testimony and documents tied to its Epstein investigation. Black appeared for a voluntary interview with the committee at the Capitol in June, during which he denied knowledge of Epstein's sex trafficking network. He later refused to respond to subpoenas seeking his further appearance and potential nondisclosure agreements connected to the probe.
In September, the committee voted to recommend holding Black in contempt, according to the Daily Local. The full House later approved the resolution, and the matter was referred to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. Garcia, for his part, called the contempt resolution an important step toward justice and accountability.
Black's lawyers have maintained that the committee's pursuit of him amounts to an abuse of congressional power, and the same report notes they filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional Conduct seeking an investigation into tactics used by Republican chairman James Comer. Separately, per NPR, Black has sued the House Oversight Committee and Comer directly, accusing them of overstepping their authority in demanding testimony and nondisclosure agreements.
Disputed Dollar Figures and Black's Apollo Exit
Money has been at the center of the dispute over Black's relationship with Epstein. Lawmakers have alleged Black paid Epstein $180 million over their yearslong relationship, while a 2021 review commissioned by Apollo Global Management concluded Black paid Epstein $158 million between 2012 and 2017 for what the review described as bona fide tax, estate-planning and other legitimate services, the same NPR report states.
Black co-founded Apollo Global Management and stepped down as its head in 2021 amid the fallout over his ties to Epstein, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor. Epstein survivors have said they experienced sexual abuse as young women in a trafficking enterprise organized by Epstein and his colleague, Ghislaine Maxwell. Bill Clinton and Bill Gates were also asked to appear as part of the oversight committee's broader Epstein investigation.
A Separate Lawsuit Against Black Was Just Dismissed
In a separate but related legal thread, a federal judge in Westchester dismissed a pending sex-abuse lawsuit against Black three weeks ago after the pro se plaintiff asked to drop the case, citing what she described as an “exceptional medical emergency,” according to the New York Law Journal. U.S. District Judge Jessica Clarke had not yet ruled on Black's separate motion seeking at least $1.6 million in attorneys' fees from that plaintiff, the outlet reported.
Taken together, the cases illustrate how thoroughly Black's name has become entangled in Epstein-related litigation across multiple courts and a congressional investigation, even as he continues to deny any knowledge of Epstein's criminal conduct. The defamation suit against Garcia is now the latest front in that fight, with Black's attorneys framing it as an effort to hold a sitting lawmaker accountable for statements they say crossed from political criticism into falsehood.
