Billionaire investor Leon Black has filed a lawsuit to avoid House lawmakers investigating Jeffrey Epstein, according to a new report.
Black filed suit against the House Oversight Committee on Thursday, seeking to block the panel from obtaining his "non-disclosure agreements and testimony" as part of its sprawling Epstein probe, CNN reported.
The lawsuit marks a "major escalation" in a months-long standoff, arriving the same day Black was scheduled to sit for a deposition he ultimately skipped.
"Black’s attorneys argued that the non-disclosure agreements the panel was seeking were too broad, had no connection to Epstein and disregarded the privacy interests of third parties," CNN reported. "Congress is not entitled to subpoena documents from a private citizen on the inchoate hope that something useful might show up."
"At this juncture, the parties have an irreconcilable disagreement regarding the scope of any further testimony and production," his attorneys wrote. "The Committee has left Mr. Black with no choice but to avail himself of a legal remedy."
Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) wasn't pleased, according to CNN.
"It's a shame Leon Black is hiding behind litigation rather than provide answers to the American people," he said in a statement. "Our deposition is moving forward this morning for the record and there will be an empty chair for Mr. Black. I will speak with our members about next steps."
Black, the co-founder of Apollo Global Management, paid Epstein roughly $158 million for financial and tax advice over several years, a relationship that has drawn "sustained scrutiny" from lawmakers and prompted his resignation as Apollo's CEO, according to CNN.