Billionaire investor Leon Black failed to appear before a House Oversight Committee and instead filed a lawsuit challenging the subpoenas issued to him.
The lawsuit declares the subpoenas "invalid" and says they have "no legitimate connection" to the committee’s legislative aim.
Black walked out of the committee in June during voluntary testimony after he was asked about nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) he may have signed.
He has denied any wrongdoing in his dealings with Epstein.
The subpoenas, ordering Black to share NDAs and provide an on-camera deposition under oath, were issued after his departure in June.
His lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington on Thursday, argues 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."
NDAs are contracts where both parties agree to keep information confidential, often as part of a settlement or employment agreement.
"This is no longer about finding the truth about Epstein. It is about trying to destroy Mr Black," Susan Estrich, Black’s attorney, said in a press release on Thursday.
"We were left with no choice but to file this lawsuit in response to an abuse of Congressional power."
"By refusing to testify today, Leon Black is now defying two Congressional subpoenas," committee member Robert Garcia said after Black failed to appear.
Committee officials said Black’s connections to Epstein and his unwillingness to cooperate are unacceptable and could lead to contempt proceedings.
Black has said he employed Epstein as a wealth‑management adviser and paid him $158m (£120m) over the years, claiming he did not know about Epstein’s crimes until 2019.
He appears in the Justice Department’s Epstein files, including photos and documents, but no wrongdoing has been alleged.
Black also had a six‑year affair with former Russian model Guzel Ganieva, who filed a lawsuit involving an NDA that was ultimately dismissed.
Black left Apollo Global Management in 2021, citing relentless public scrutiny of his ties to Epstein as a toll on his health.
