Billionaire investor Leon Black has refused to appear before a U.S. congressional committee investigating the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and has instead filed a lawsuit challenging the committee's attempts to summon him. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, argues that the subpoenas issued by the House Oversight Committee are "invalid" and have "no legitimate connection" to the committee's legislative purpose. Black walked out of the committee in June during a voluntary testimony session after lawmakers asked about potential non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) he may have signed. NDAs are legal contracts in which both parties agree to keep certain information confidential, often as part of a settlement or employment arrangement. The subpoenas, which required Black to provide details about the NDAs and give an on-camera deposition under oath, were issued after he left the June meeting. In his lawsuit, Black's legal team argued that revealing the NDAs could "expose women who value their privacy, who have no known or public connection to Epstein, who bargained for confidentiality and have refused to release it." Susan Estrich, one of Black's attorneys, said in a press release that the lawsuit was a response to what she called an "abuse of Congressional power," claiming the focus had shifted from uncovering the truth about Epstein to "trying to destroy Mr. Black." Committee members have criticized Black for refusing to testify. Robert Garcia, a member of the committee, said Black's refusal to appear before the committee defies two subpoenas and that his connections to Epstein and lack of cooperation are unacceptable. He called for Black to be held in contempt of Congress, which could lead to the committee referring him to the Justice Department for potential prosecution. Committee Chairman Jim Comer stated that Black's testimony is vital to the investigation and expressed disappointment that he is using legal action to avoid answering questions from the public. Black has previously stated that he employed Epstein as a wealth management adviser and paid him $158 million over the years for legitimate purposes. He claims he was unaware of Epstein's illegal activities until Epstein was charged with trafficking in 2019. Black appears in documents released by the Justice Department related to Epstein, but there is no indication that his presence in those files implies any wrongdoing. Black had a six-year relationship with former Russian model Guzel Ganieva, which ended in allegations of abuse. A lawsuit filed by Ganieva against Black was later dismissed, and she received about $9 million after signing an NDA. Black has called the allegations "demonstrably false" and claimed he was the victim of extortion. He left the company he co-founded, Apollo Global Management, in 2021, citing the toll of public scrutiny over his ties to Epstein.