Leon Black’s Ties with Jeffrey Epstein Under Scrutiny

In recently released investigative files by the Justice Department, the phrase “Please call Leon Black” appears frequently. Emails to Jeffrey Epstein by his assistant show a long-standing business relationship between the billionaire Wall Street figure Leon Black and Epstein, dating back decades.

In a 2014 email to Black, Epstein stated, “Leon, as you are well aware, there is little I won’t do for you or at least try to do as a friend.” He referred to several favors he had already performed for Black, some of which needed to remain confidential.

Lawmakers plan to question Black on Friday during his testimony before the House Oversight Committee. This investigation focuses on the federal government’s handling of the Epstein case. They aim to uncover details about Epstein’s financial network that funded his sex trafficking operations and suspect Black’s involvement.

Former CEO of Apollo Global Management, Black is among several key figures from America’s elite, such as Bill and Hillary Clinton and Bill Gates, who have discussed their associations with Epstein in front of Congress. Black’s attorney, Susan Estrich, stated that Black requested an independent review of his relationship with Epstein.

Estrich explained that a former federal prosecutor analyzed over 60,000 documents and interviewed more than 20 people, including Black, as part of this review for Apollo. The investigation showed that Black had only paid Epstein for tax and real estate planning advice for his family office.

Estrich added in the statement, “The investigation further found that Epstein’s work had been vetted and approved by best-in-class law and accounting firms.” It also concluded that Black was unaware of the criminal activities leading to Epstein’s arrest in 2019.

Black has consistently denied any wrongdoing or awareness of Epstein’s criminal behavior. He expressed regret over his involvement with Epstein, calling it a significant mistake.

Black’s reputation suffered due to his link with Epstein. He stepped down from Apollo in 2021, after it emerged that he had paid Epstein hundreds of millions for financial advice from 2012 to 2017, despite Epstein’s guilty plea to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl in 2008.

The document release containing millions of files has led to heightened scrutiny of Black’s financial transactions with Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial. Epstein’s accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, faced conviction in 2021 over federal sex trafficking charges. These developments have prompted multiple investigations globally among associates of Epstein.

In the U.S., New Mexico is the only state probing his dealings at the Zorro Ranch. The political impact has been swift; Republicans advocating for the file release faced criticism from President Donald Trump. Congress enacted a law mandating the file release.

Black and Epstein met through a mutual friend in the 1990s. Epstein served as a director of Black’s family foundation and later as his financial adviser, earning millions in the process. Black’s phone number appears over 200 times in the files, and the phrase “Leon Black returned your call” shows up more than 100 times, many sent by Epstein’s former assistant Lesley Groff.

During questioning on June 9, Groff described Black’s relationship with Epstein as a business one, perceiving Black as one of Epstein’s clients. She also noted Black’s frequent visits to Epstein.

Allegations around Black and Epstein’s financial transactions have a darker aspect. Black agreed to pay $62.5 million to the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2023, resolving potential actions arising from a three-year investigation into Epstein’s sex trafficking operation, as per the settlement.

Black was supposed to testify in a lawsuit against Bank of America, initiated by Epstein’s abuse survivors who accused the bank of overlooking suspicious transfers from Black to Epstein. These included $170 million for purported “tax and estate planning advice,” allegedly funding Epstein’s activities. However, Black denied these claims. Bank of America settled in March with a $72.5 million payment without admitting wrongdoing, and Black did not testify.

Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., part of the Senate Finance Committee, previously investigated Black and asserted potential hush money payouts via Epstein. Wyden referred to an email where Epstein shared the location of a woman on Black’s payroll with a Russian operative, seeking advice for handling her alleged blackmail attempt against New York businessmen.

Wyden insists the federal government should scrutinize Black’s interaction with Epstein. Black himself faces accusations of sexual misconduct, all of which he denies.

In one lawsuit, an unidentified woman alleged Black raped her at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse in 2002. After discontinuing the lawsuit, Black claimed no encounter with her. Another former model accused Black of harassment and mistreatment, suggesting Epstein introductions. After a countersuit by Black, her lawsuit was dismissed.

Currently, a related case persists where Black is accused of sexually abusing a teenager. A federal judge in April sanctioned the unidentified accuser, her former attorney, and the representing law firm for potential evidence mismanagement. The case proceeds despite these sanctions.

Black’s attorney remarked that the case lacked merit from the start. Estrich also stated that the Wigdor LLP was cautioned on fraudulence of the claims, but they pursued the lawsuit and media activities to extort Black.

Doug Wigdor, founder of the firm, acknowledged their disappointment over the sanctions but expressed willingness for their former client to seek justice in court. Wigdor’s firm filed a separate claim in March against Black, alleging backlash for representing accusers; Black disputes the allegations, and the lawsuit is ongoing.