Leon Black sues Rep. Robert Garcia for defamation over Epstein comments

Billionaire Leon Black filed a federal defamation lawsuit Wednesday against Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, over comments Garcia made tying Black to Jeffrey Epstein ¹².

The suit, filed in the Southern District of New York, seeks a jury trial and $7.25 million in compensatory and punitive damages ². It alleges Garcia "has knowingly and willfully lied about Leon Black and defamed him" ¹.

Black, a former Wall Street private equity investor who had a business relationship with Epstein, stepped down from the hedge fund he co-founded, Apollo Global Management, in 2021 after an independent review of his ties to Epstein ¹. The review found Black, who has denied wrongdoing tied to Epstein, wasn't involved in Epstein's criminal activities ¹.

What Garcia said

The suit cites comments Garcia made in a TV interview, including that "Leon 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 he committed suicide in prison ².

From Channel GOPMeyers on Trump's reason for dropping EpsteinSeth Meyers · 156 plays · captioned, with the source named

Garcia also said he had "talked to survivors that have credibly named Leon Black as someone that was involved in direct abuse of women and was directly involved" with Epstein ². Black's lawyers say those statements were false and made maliciously ².

In a statement in September responding to a lawsuit Black filed against the committee, Garcia said Black had "funded Epstein's abuse and trafficking of women" and added: "Multiple women have also accused Black of sexual assault. His connections to Epstein and his unwillingness to cooperate are unacceptable." ¹

A spokesperson for Garcia didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit ¹. Garcia's office also didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from ABC News ².

The committee fight

The Republican-led Oversight Committee has subpoenaed Black as part of its Epstein investigation and voted unanimously in September to hold him in contempt over his refusal to comply ¹. The full House later voted to hold Black in contempt of Congress ¹.

Black sat for a voluntary closed-door transcribed interview with the committee over the summer but left before it was over ¹. He didn't show up for a later deposition and sued the committee to block subpoenas for his appearance and nondisclosure agreements tied to Epstein; that case is still being litigated ¹.

The Justice Department said Sept. 16 that the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia would review the referral of Black carefully and would not hesitate to pursue additional cases where the evidence supports it, Reuters reported ¹.

In a statement about the lawsuit against Garcia on Wednesday, a spokesperson for Black wrote that "he has never abused a woman; he has never been with an underage woman; he has never been involved with sex trafficking; and, he never paid Epstein for women." ¹

The filing states: "Congressman Garcia's knowing lies have caused real and significant ongoing harm to Mr. Black. His physical safety has been threatened, he has received a barrage of hateful calls, emails, and social media posts, and his business and philanthropic endeavors have suffered." ²

Why it matters

With Democrats set to take control of the House in January, Garcia is poised to become the new chair of the Oversight Committee ¹. That matters because the suit arrives as Democrats prepare subpoena-powered investigations, and it shows how targets of those probes may respond in court rather than at the witness table.

The pattern is a preview: Black is already litigating against the committee itself, and now he is suing its incoming Democratic chairman personally ¹². The defamation claims will be tested in federal court in New York, while the contempt referral sits with federal prosecutors in Washington ¹.

The Record

1. Jan 1, 2021Black stepped down from Apollo Global Management after an independent review of his ties to Epstein found he wasn't involved in Epstein's criminal activities ¹.
2. Sep 16, 2026The Justice Department said the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia would review the referral of Black carefully ¹.
3. Nov 4, 2026Black filed a defamation lawsuit against Rep. Robert Garcia in the Southern District of New York ¹².

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<h2>Leon Black sues Rep. Robert Garcia for defamation over Epstein comments</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Investigations Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/leon-black-sues-rep-robert-garcia-for-defamation-over-epstein-comments">The GOP Files</a> on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.</em></p> <p>Billionaire Leon Black filed a federal defamation lawsuit Wednesday against Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, over comments Garcia made tying Black to Jeffrey Epstein .</p> <p>The suit, filed in the Southern District of New York, seeks a jury trial and $7.25 million in compensatory and punitive damages . It alleges Garcia &quot;has knowingly and willfully lied about Leon Black and defamed him&quot; .</p> <p>Black, a former Wall Street private equity investor who had a business relationship with Epstein, stepped down from the hedge fund he co-founded, Apollo Global Management, in 2021 after an independent review of his ties to Epstein . The review found Black, who has denied wrongdoing tied to Epstein, wasn&#39;t involved in Epstein&#39;s criminal activities .</p> <h2>What Garcia said</h2> <p>The suit cites comments Garcia made in a TV interview, including that &quot;Leon Black is at the center of Jeffrey Epstein&#39;s crimes&quot; and that Black &quot;was one of the last people to actually interact&quot; with Epstein before he committed suicide in prison .</p> <p>Garcia also said he had &quot;talked to survivors that have credibly named Leon Black as someone that was involved in direct abuse of women and was directly involved&quot; with Epstein . Black&#39;s lawyers say those statements were false and made maliciously .</p> <p>In a statement in September responding to a lawsuit Black filed against the committee, Garcia said Black had &quot;funded Epstein&#39;s abuse and trafficking of women&quot; and added: &quot;Multiple women have also accused Black of sexual assault. His connections to Epstein and his unwillingness to cooperate are unacceptable.&quot;</p> <p>A spokesperson for Garcia didn&#39;t immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit . Garcia&#39;s office also didn&#39;t immediately respond to requests for comment from ABC News .</p> <h2>The committee fight</h2> <p>The Republican-led Oversight Committee has subpoenaed Black as part of its Epstein investigation and voted unanimously in September to hold him in contempt over his refusal to comply . The full House later voted to hold Black in contempt of Congress .</p> <p>Black sat for a voluntary closed-door transcribed interview with the committee over the summer but left before it was over . He didn&#39;t show up for a later deposition and sued the committee to block subpoenas for his appearance and nondisclosure agreements tied to Epstein; that case is still being litigated .</p> <p>The Justice Department said Sept. 16 that the U.S. Attorney&#39;s Office for the District of Columbia would review the referral of Black carefully and would not hesitate to pursue additional cases where the evidence supports it, Reuters reported .</p> <p>In a statement about the lawsuit against Garcia on Wednesday, a spokesperson for Black wrote that &quot;he has never abused a woman; he has never been with an underage woman; he has never been involved with sex trafficking; and, he never paid Epstein for women.&quot;</p> <p>The filing states: &quot;Congressman Garcia&#39;s knowing lies have caused real and significant ongoing harm to Mr. Black. His physical safety has been threatened, he has received a barrage of hateful calls, emails, and social media posts, and his business and philanthropic endeavors have suffered.&quot;</p> <h2>Why it matters</h2> <p>With Democrats set to take control of the House in January, Garcia is poised to become the new chair of the Oversight Committee . That matters because the suit arrives as Democrats prepare subpoena-powered investigations, and it shows how targets of those probes may respond in court rather than at the witness table.</p> <p>The pattern is a preview: Black is already litigating against the committee itself, and now he is suing its incoming Democratic chairman personally . The defamation claims will be tested in federal court in New York, while the contempt referral sits with federal prosecutors in Washington .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/leon-black-sues-rep-robert-garcia-for-defamation-over-epstein-comments">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/leon-black-sues-rep-robert-garcia-for-defamation-over-epstein-comments.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. NBC News, “Billionaire Leon Black sues Rep. Robert Garcia, alleging defamation over Epstein comments” (2026-11-05). nbcnews.com/politics/congress/leon-black-sues-robert-garcia-
2. ABC News, “Billionaire Leon Black sues Rep. Robert Garcia for defamation over Epstein comments” (2026-11-04). abcnews.com/Politics/wireStory/billionaire-leon-black-sues-u

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