The Epstein Chronicles – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Danya Perry And Her Role Within The Leon Black Defense Team
Host: Bobby Capucci
Date: April 1, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the surprising appointment of Danya Perry—a former federal prosecutor renowned for her advocacy against abuse by powerful men—to the legal defense team of billionaire Leon Black. Black, a known associate of Jeffrey Epstein, is embroiled in a civil lawsuit brought by his former lover, Guzel Ganieva, alleging sexual violence and connections to Epstein's misdeeds. Bobby Capucci critically examines the seeming contradiction in Perry’s career path, reflects on the broader implications for legal ethics, and questions the motivations behind her decision.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Contradiction in Danya Perry’s Representation (00:30–02:00)

Danya Perry's Background: Once known for challenging men like Eric Schneiderman and Andrew Cuomo, Perry now defends Leon Black, a figure heavily tied to Epstein.
- Bobby points out the irony: “It always amazes me when these lawyers who get up there and talk about how they're part of the MeToo movement [...] and then they end up with a client like Leon Black.” (00:30)
Considerations for Perry’s Motivation:
- Financial incentive: Defending a billionaire like Black is lucrative.
- Possible belief in Black's innocence based on evidence seen.

2. Perry’s Track Record Against Powerful Men (02:00–05:00)

Notable Past Cases:
- Reported abuse by Eric Schneiderman, which led to the attorney general’s downfall.
- Professional run-ins with Andrew Cuomo, including being blocked in a corruption investigation.
Host’s Critical Tone:
- Highlights the hypocrisy by referencing Cuomo’s public persona versus private conduct.
- “Cuomo has never sat well with me. I've always thought of him as your prototypical, grifting Tammany hall politician.” (04:00)
- Emphasizes how Perry once stood up to these figures, making her representation of Black a sharp turn.

3. The Leon Black Case & Epstein Connections (05:00–10:00)

Current Legal Battle: Ganieva alleges Black forced sadistic sexual acts during their affair and that he involved her with Epstein.
- Black denies all allegations, calling them “wholesale fiction”, and has countersued Ganieva.
Epstein’s Influence:
- Black paid $158 million to Epstein for ‘financial advice’—a point of suspicion.
- Host’s skepticism: “I'm inclined to believe Mrs. Ganieva, considering Leon Black was one of Epstein's confidants, someone that was in Epstein's inner circle.” (01:00)
Legal Strategy:
- Bringing Perry onto Black’s defense team seen as “a shrewd strategy”—the optics of having a woman with her background defending him. (01:40)

4. Legal Ethics, Motivations, and Public Perception (10:00–13:00)

Money vs. Principle:
- The legal world’s pragmatic side—high-profile lawyers representing controversial clients for significant fees.
- “Money talks. […] If you have a client like Leon Black and they're offering you millions of dollars for your service, has to be pretty difficult to decline that, right?” (11:00)
Perry's Own Statement:
- She told Insider she accepted after reviewing evidence and speaking at length with Black.
- Perry (quoted, via Insider): “Like so many others, I have myself endured sexual assault and harassment, and I do anything in my power to fight against it. […] But I will stand up against someone who is hijacking it and weaponizing it by falsely claiming sexual assault. That hurts the movement and hurts us all.” (12:10)
- Host's take: “Maybe Ms. Perry does believe that Mrs. Ganieva is not telling the truth here, and we have to at the very least acknowledge that that might be the case.” (12:40)

5. Broader Implications & Outlook (13:00–16:00)

Presumption of Innocence and Victims’ Voices:
- The importance of listening to accusers, especially given Epstein’s legacy of survivors being ignored.
Trial Anticipation:
- Host expresses eagerness for discovery and trial, believing it could expose more of Black’s connection to Epstein: “If it does get to the trial phase and we have discovery, my friends, it'll have a lot of Epstein stuff and it will be explosive.” (15:40)
Potential for Settlement:
- Suggests Ms. Perry may seek a settlement to minimize public embarrassment for Black.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On defense team optics:
“Leon Black is a lot of things, but a shrewd businessman is certainly one of them as well. […] You have a woman, she can navigate this a little easier, a little better.” (01:40)
On Cuomo’s legacy:
“Cuomo has always thought that he was your better. That is not the kind of person that should ever be elected to any kind of office.” (04:30)
On legal ethics and money:
“Money talks. […] has to be pretty difficult to decline that, right?” (11:00)
Danya Perry’s rationale:
“But I will stand up against someone who is hijacking it and weaponizing it by falsely claiming sexual assault. That hurts the movement and hurts us all.” (12:10, attributed to Perry via Insider)
On the possible trial discovery:
“If it does get to the trial phase and we have discovery, my friends, it'll have a lot of Epstein stuff and it will be explosive.” (15:40)

Important Timestamps

00:30 – Introduction of Danya Perry’s role and background
02:00 – Perry’s past work against Schneiderman and Cuomo
05:00 – Breakdown of Black vs. Ganieva legal case
10:00 – Discussion on legal motivations and Perry’s public statement
13:00 – Host’s thoughts on public perception, future trial, and settlement possibilities
15:40 – Host’s anticipation of possible revelations during trial discovery

Summary in Host’s Tone:
Bobby Capucci delivers a candid, skeptical, and at times biting commentary on the twists and turns of the Epstein saga, particularly the perplexing decision of an anti-abuse crusader like Danya Perry to defend someone so closely tied to Epstein’s inner circle. The episode probes issues of integrity, public spin, legal strategy, and the enduring shadow cast by Epstein’s crimes.

Transcript

A (0:00)

Get ready to rev those engines. The 2026 Les Schwab Classy Chassis parade and car show is back in East Wenatchee, Washington. Kick things off Friday, May 1st at 6:00pm for the Big parade plus the after party with live music. Then join us on Saturday, May 2nd at 10:00am at the Eastmont Community park for the car show. It's two days of classic cars, food, music and free family fun for everyone. For all the details, visit eastwardancheewa.gov we'll see you there.

B (0:30)

What's up everyone and welcome back to the Epstein Chronicles. You know, it always amazes me when these lawyers who get up there and talk about how they're part of the MeToo movement or how they're believe all women or any of that stuff, and then they end up with a client like Leon Black. And today we're going to talk about a lawyer who did just that. And the person we're talking about is Danya Perry. Now, she's an ex prosecutor and she has a pretty big reputation for going after powerful men. So it's pretty interesting that she would take Leon Black on as a client. Now, you could look at it in two different ways, right? A, she's just looking to get a bunch of money, you know, having this client knowing that he's going to pay out of the teeth for her services. Yeah, why not? Or B, maybe she really believes him. Maybe she has seen some evidence that makes her believe that he's telling the truth. All we have so far are the competing statements by Mrs. Ganieva and Leon Black. I'm inclined to believe Mrs. Ganieva, considering Leon Black was one of Epstein's confidants, somebody that was in Epstein's inner circle. So I have a hard time believing that this guy is innocent. But these lawyers like Lisa Bloom, Gloria Allred, who act like they're these big champions of women who have been assaulted and then they go and they take clients like Leon Black or Harvey Weinstein. It just defies reasoning. So let's get into the article from Insider and let's see if they can provide a little context about her decision. Headline Meet the lawyer who went from standing up to Eric Schneiderman and Andrew Cuomo to defending Leon Black. This article was authored by Casey Sullivan. Dania Perry, a former federal prosecutor turned corporate lawyer, has a hard earned reputation for for calling out abuse and standing up to powerful men. So that runs counter to the narrative right off the bat. If you're dealing with Leon Black, this is a guy that should not be given the Benefit of the doubt, in my opinion, considering his associations. You want to hang out with those sorts of people? Well, don't be mad or don't be bummed out when people tie you together with them, especially when there's 158 million reasons why we should do so. So Leon Black is just an absolute bumbling fool in this regard. And it's a shrewd strategy, obviously, to bring Danya Perry on board. You know, you have a woman, she can navigate this a little easier, a little better. You saw the same thing with Ghislaine Maxwell. She brought in Bobby Sternum. And you know, there's reasons for that. And Leon Black is a lot of things, but a shrewd businessman is certainly one of them as well. In 2018, she told a New Yorker journalist that Eric Schneiderman physically assaulted her two years earlier after a summer party in the Hamptons, an allegation the magazine described in a story that facilitated the Attorney General's downfall. Hey, look, breaking news, bro. Stop assaulting people. Pretty simple. You're a grown ass man. You can't even use the excuse. Oh, I was 19 years old. We were drunk at a frat party, and even that's a shitbag excuse. But you're the general, Attorney General, and you're over here going after women after some summer party up in the Hamptons. Here's an idea. If you're that much of a sex crazed lunatic, go call an escort service or something. Don't assault women. This past August, when Andrew Cuomo faced allegations of sexual harassment, Perry also told the magazine that the then governor once stymied her professionally by quashing an investigation into political corruption when it got too close to his allies. Well, we all know Cuomo was an utter piece of trash, an absolute bum scrub out here trying to use his position of power to manipulate people into relationships with him, all at the same time getting up there and berating everybody else for the way they were living their lives. Or, oh, this one's not wearing a mask, or that one's not wearing a mask. Meanwhile, this dude's out here living his best life while the rest of everybody else is living in lockdown. I. Cuomo has never sat well with me. I've always thought of him as your prototypical, grifting Tammany hall politician. And for those of you who have seen the movie Gangs of New York, you know exactly what I mean when I say Tammany Hall. And that is the sort of person meaning Cuomo that I envision when I think of your Typical corrupt New York politician. Schneiderman cannot be reached for a comment for this story. A spokesperson for Cuomo said the former governor denied allegations of sexual harassment and that Cuomo did not face any criminal charges for allegations relating to his work with Perry. So that, you know, that ends it. You know, he had no allegations. So, well, don't ask any questions. Such a joke. And Cuomo and his whole entire team and staff, they have done this forever. Avoid any real question answering and instead turn it back on the people asking the questions with scorn and sarcasm and the rest of it. Cuomo has always thought that he was your better. That is not the kind of person that should ever be elected to any kind of office. And I don't know how he won in New York. I mean, I guess the family name and all, but besides that, you would think that people in New York would be hip to the Cuomo's by now, but I guess not. Break. But as the Cuomo drama unfolded, she had quietly taken on a new client, the billionaire investor Leon Black. So what it does for me anyway is it makes me look sideways at all of the stuff she has done previously. Now, again, I might be a bit biased against Mr. Black because of his previous relationships with Jeffrey Epstein, and I'm aware of that. I try to avoid following my confirmation bias into an abyss, but I can't shake the feeling that Ms. Ganieva is telling the truth here. And when you see somebody like Ms. Perry get involved and become a surrogate for Leon Black, just makes you shake your head and leaves definitely a bad taste in your mouth. He was the very kind of power figure Perry had once made a name for herself by challenging. And he was going through a me too moment, a me too, a me too crisis of his own. The former Apollo Global Management CEOs former longtime lover, Gazelle Ganieva, filed a civil lawsuit last year accusing him of forcing sadistic sexual acts on her during their extramarital affair in the late 2000s and 2010s. Black has called the allegations a wholesale fiction and filed his own lawsuit against Ganieva. Now, we know that they're going back and forth in court as we speak and trying to figure out what's what, what's real here, what allegations are true, which ones aren't. And again, I'm inclined to believe everything Mrs. Ganieva has to say here because of the way Leon Black has conducted himself in the past. Now, it might turn out that none of this is true and Leon Black is being targeted. That's why we'll have a trial, but boy, oh, boy, I can't wait to get to discovery. Certainly going to talk a little bit about Epstein. No doubt about that, considering. Mr. Mrs. Ganieva says that Leon Black brought her to Florida one time to have sex with Jeffrey Epstein. To some lawyers, Perry's decision to defend Black, who resigned from Apollo after an investigation found he paid 158 million to Epstein for tax and financial advice, doesn't match the Perry they've read about in the New Yorker. Yeah, that's usually the case. Right? Money talks. And I'm not saying that that's the motivation for Ms. Perry here, but look, if you have a client like Leon Black and they're offering you millions of dollars for your service, has to be pretty difficult to decline that, right? And, you know, he is offering a bunch of money for her services. Perry told Insider she was persuaded to take the case after reviewing audio recordings and text conversations Black had with Ganieva and speaking at length with Black. This kind of comes off to me as like the George Bush moment with Vladimir Putin. Right. I sat at the table and I looked across from him, and I looked into his eyes, and I saw he was a good person. Okay, George Bush. Thanks, buddy. Kind of the same thing here, right? Well, I had an extensive conversation with Mr. Black, and I can tell you he did not do this. Okay, sure. Great. Glad you believe him. But I think that it's going to affect her Persona moving forward, just like it has with Gloria Alden Allred and with Gloria Allred's daughter, Lisa Bloom. Like so many others, I have. I have myself endured sexual assault and harassment, and I do anything in my power to fight against it. Perry told Insider and emailed comments. But I will stand up against someone who is hijacking it and weaponizing it by falsely claiming sexual assault. That hurts the movement and. And hurts us all. So maybe Ms. Perry does believe that Mrs. GA is not telling the truth here, and we have to at the very least acknowledge that that might be the case. We haven't had a trial here yet. We haven't seen any evidence in court yet, so we'll have to see what happens. But when we're talking about any of Epstein's associates and somebody's accusing them of sexual assault or being a sadistic, disgusting, depraved individual, I have to listen to what they have to say because for how. How long was it that nobody was listening to these survivors? So anytime somebody has these kinds of allegations, I got to perk up, and we have to get all the evidence out there and see what's what and that's certainly the way things are moving in this case and things are moving relatively quickly here. So I'm sure we'll see some sort of trial at some point unless there is a settlement. Now Ms. Perry might move towards that and get Leon Black on board to do a settlement to save him some embarrassment, but who knows? One thing is for sure, if it does get to the trial phase and we have discovery, my friends, it'll have a lot of Epstein stuff and it will be explosive. All right, folks, that's going to do it for this episode. If you'd like to contact me, you can do that@bobby capuchirotonmail.com that's B O B B Y C A P U c c I@protonmail.com you can also find me on Twitter at bo b b y underscore Capucci. The link that we discussed can be found in the description box. All right.