Episode Details

Leon Black, the billionaire investor and co-founder of Apollo Global Management, filed a federal defamation lawsuit against Democratic Representative Robert Garcia on November 4, 2026, accusing the congressman of making false and damaging statements about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, seeks $7.25 million in compensatory and punitive damages and demands a jury trial. Black's legal action centers on statements Garcia made during a television interview in which he characterized Black as being at the center of Epstein's crimes, suggested that Black was among the last people to interact with Epstein before his death in federal custody, and said survivors had credibly identified Black as someone directly involved in the abuse of women. Black's attorneys contend that these accusations were knowingly false and malicious, claiming they exposed their client to threats, harassment, reputational damage, and financial consequences affecting his business and philanthropic activities. Black has consistently denied participating in Epstein's sexual abuse or trafficking operation and maintains that he had no knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities. The lawsuit represents another escalation in Black's increasingly contentious relationship with congressional investigators, particularly Garcia, who has aggressively pursued answers about Black's financial dealings with Epstein and his potential knowledge of the trafficking operation.

The lawsuit follows months of congressional scrutiny surrounding Black's extraordinary financial relationship with Epstein, including the approximately $158 million that an Apollo-commissioned investigation determined Black paid Epstein between 2012 and 2017 for purported tax, estate planning, and other financial services. Those payments continued years after Epstein's 2008 conviction involving the solicitation of a minor, raising significant questions among lawmakers about why Black maintained such an enormously lucrative relationship with a registered sex offender. Black appeared for a voluntary interview before the House Oversight Committee in June 2026 but refused to answer certain questions concerning nondisclosure agreements, prompting the committee to issue subpoenas demanding additional testimony and documents. When Black subsequently refused to comply, the House voted in September to hold him in contempt of Congress, while his attorneys characterized the investigation as an abuse of congressional authority. Garcia supported the contempt proceedings and repeatedly emphasized the need to investigate whether Black's enormous payments helped finance Epstein's criminal operation. The financial relationship has also attracted scrutiny from Senator Ron Wyden, whose investigation raised questions about the legitimacy of the payments and the financial institutions that processed them. Against that backdrop, Black's decision to sue Garcia personally introduces another legal battle into the broader congressional investigation of Epstein's associates, placing the congressman's public accusations and Black's denials at the center of a dispute that could have significant consequences for both men.



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Leon Black sues Robert Garcia, alleging defamation over Epstein comments