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The Epstein Chronicles
Leon Black Is Set To Appear Before Congress Today To Explain His Relationship With Epstein (6/26/26)
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Leon Black is scheduled to appear today before the House Oversight Committee as part of its continuing investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and the federal government’s handling of the case. The questioning is expected to focus on...
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What's up, everyone? And welcome to another episode of the Epstein Chronicles. On June 26, Leon Black is set to appear before the Congressional Oversight Committee to discuss his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. And I wish I could tell you that I was confident that we're gonna get to the bottom of something and that we're gonna have some of our questions answered. But unfortunately, it's gonna be just another runaround. Another voluntary transcribed interview. That's exactly what Leon Black fears, huh? You know, an interview with no teeth. I'm sure that's keeping Leon Black up at night. And he is just, you know, losing a ton of sleep over it said nobody ever. Do you really think a guy like Leon Black, who's as powerful as he is, cares about this kind of committee? He's going to get up there, he's going to bullshit around and. And his lawyer is going to interject whenever he's in any kind of jeopardy. Just like we saw with Sarah Kellen Vickers. Just like we've seen time and time again. And that's the playbook, right? They all know the playbook, and that's why they all came in here under the guise of it being voluntary because they didn't want to have to answer questions under subpoena because there's actually repercussions, or should be when you lie under oath. But when it comes to lying to Congress, who gives a shit? Just a bunch of liars being lied to. Today's article is from NBC News, and the headline, lawmakers expected to press billionaire Leon Black about Epstein ties. This article was authored by Justin Goldman, Colleen Long, and Owen Hayes. Please call Leon Black. That phrase appears more than 300 times in the Jeffrey Epstein investigative files released by the Justice Department. Some sent in emails to Epstein by his personal assistant. Black for years, a powerful billionaire Wall street player, and Epstein had a business relationship stretching back decades. More than a business relationship. I would think that you have to be pretty close to somebody to call their kids retarded and not have any kind of knuckle sandwich coming your way. Then again, Leon Black just might be a pussy. Very possible. Imagine somebody calling your kids that and you still do business with them. I mean, I guess I'd have some business, but not the kind Leon's used to. Leon, as you're well aware, there's little I won't do for you. At least try to do as a friend. Epstein wrote in one email to Black in 2014. And a great deal that I have already done, both known and some things that will need to remain unknown. And I'm sure a lot of that had to do with pressing the women over in Russia. Remember, Leon Black reached out to Epstein, and Epstein reached out to the guy in fsb. What we're gonna make pretend that didn't happen? It most certainly did. Lawmakers are expected to press Black on Friday when he testifies before the House Oversight Committee investigating the federal government's handling of the Epstein case. They're hoping to uncover more about the financial web Epstein wove that funded his sex trafficking operation and have said that they believe Black may have played a role. Oh, well, what do you know? Welcome to the party, pal. And look, Leon Black's one of those people where I won't even say he didn't take part in the abuse because there's allegations that he did. Now, do I know for a fact that he did? I don't. I have no idea what actually occurred. But I will say this. He's being credibly accused. And when somebody's credibly accused, I think that those allegations should be investigated. And we know that for all these years, that never happened. So I might have a Lot to say about the Congressional committee, but at least we're getting people like Leon Black on the record, right? So I'll give them credit for that. But besides that, the whole entire thing's been a dog and pony show. And there's no teeth, There is no enforcement arm, so why should anyone be scared to get up there and tell falsehoods? To tell lies? Oh, you can't lie to Congress. Yeah, okay, sure. The former CEO of Apollo Global Management is the latest in a line of America's powerful ruling class, including Bill and Hillary Clinton and Bill Gates, who've gone before Congress to discuss their ties to the man who preyed on women for years. Not only their ties, their protection, their enabling the rebuilding of his whole entire Persona, they all played a part in that. And when we were trying to expose that, places like NBC News, well, they called it all a conspiracy theory. Well, is it a conspiracy theory now? NBC News. Black's attorney, Susan Estrich, said in a statement to NBC News that Black had called for an independent investigation of his relationship with Epstein. Yeah, not from the government. He brought in an outside law firm, and guess what? Whitewash city. Like usual. Estridge said the former federal prosecutor reviewed more than 60,000 documents and interviewed more than 20 people, including Black, as part of that investigation at the behest of Apollo, and found that Black had only paid Epstein for tax and real estate planning advice for his family office. Like, how do you prove that? That's such bs. Oh, well, that's what the paperwork said. Okay, yeah, sure. 62 and a half million. Show me somebody else that paid that kind of money for the same kind of advice. You can't find somebody that paid that, though. Nobody's paying that kind of money for that kind of advice. But Leon Black and his narrative were taken hook, line and sinker for years. And I have no idea how anyone could look at what Leon Black paid out and not know that he was up to no good. The investigation further found that Epstein's work had been vetted and approved by best in class law and accounting firms, Etrus said in the statement. It also found that he had no awareness of the criminal activity that led to Epstein's arrest in 2019. Have you guys gotten tired of this yet? It's the same every time we talk about one of these people. It's always the same excuse. I had no idea. I wasn't around. I forgot. You are around. You have an idea and you forgot nothing. Okay. Why everybody's so scared of Leon Black is beyond me. Leon Black is A straight up biatch, okay? Nobody to be scared of. Just another one of these scumbags with a bunch of dough. Big deal. So what? It's about time people like Leon Black are held accountable for the bullshit they allegedly do. And when we're talking about Leon Black. By the way, how many financial crimes is this dude engaged in throughout the years? I'm guessing a whole bunch now. Do I have evidence to prove it? No. But when you get to the level that Leon Black was at and you're running a group like Apollo, pretty sure your hands aren't clean. Black has denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein's criminal conduct. And he said he deeply regrets having had any involvement with him, with the benefit of hindsight. Working with them was a horrible mistake on my part, he said in a statement when he stepped down from Apollo. Have you noticed all these rich ass dudes who run around telling us how smart they are all of a sudden are claiming that they're ignorant? I wonder why. Smart about everything else, but not this. Black's reputation has already been tarnished by his longtime association with the wealthy sex offender. He was forced out of the company he co founded in 2021 after Apollo revealed Black had paid Epstein hundreds of millions for financial advice from 2012 through 2017, arguing he did so despite knowing that Epstein had pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl in Florida in 2008. And this is what it all comes back to, that bullshit prosecution in Florida. The whole purpose was so Epstein can continue doing what he did and everybody that was involved in that initial prosecution, I have to tell you, they should be investigated. There should be a special counsel that investigates all of them. Barry Krisher, Marie Vilafana, Alex Acosta, Matthew Menshel, Mukase Philippe. All of them. Every last person involved. Because this is the defense, folks. This is what they keep falling back to, and enough is enough. Yet since the document dump of millions of files, questions have only grown about Black's financial dealings with Epstein, who died by suicide, allegedly in his cell in 2019 as he awaited criminal trial in New York. And have you noticed how they're subliminally just saying he died by suicide, not even questioning it? Which is wild, considering NBC has a conspiracy theory about everything else Trump's doing, but not this. We should just accept this. Ask yourself why there's a conspiracy theory about everything. The reflecting pool, who ate what. But I should just accept that this is on the up and up, that Epstein died by suicide because the government told Me so. Because Nicholas Tartaglioni talked to the New York Times. Yo, I know a psyop when I see one. Nice try, boys, nice try. But you're gonna have to find somebody else. Not gonna work around these parts. The release of the Epstein files has prompted multiple investigations overseas as famous people and well connected leaders around the globe were found to have associated with them. In the US only, New Mexico has launched a probe into the dealings on a secluded Zorro ranch. Imagine being New York and not launching a state run probe. Or Florida. Makes you wonder, huh? All that big talk from all those politicians in New York and still nothing. Meanwhile, New York was acting as an epicenter for all this bullshit. But they have no desire to really go after it. They have no desire to open up a state run case or a commission like we see in New Mexico. I wonder why. The political ramifications have been more swift. Republicans who have pushed for the release of the files have seen their careers upended by President Donald Trump who opposed the decision to make the trove public. Congress passed a law to force the release of the files. Black and Epstein were introduced by a mutual friend. In the 90s, Epstein served as director of Leon Black's family foundation and later served as his financial advisor, reaping millions over the years. Financial advisor? More like bundler. More like money launderer? More like stash spot guy. This dude was hiding more money than Big Meech. And the more I think about that DEA investigation, the more that included Epstein, the more I think that Epstein was also bundling money for drug dealers. Would that be so out of the realm of possibility? When you have somebody that's good at laundering money, word gets around. Black's phone number appears more than 200 times in the three and a half million public files. And there are more than 100 instances of the phrase Leon Black returns your call. Many were sent by Epstein's former assistant Leslie Groff. In questioning by lawmakers on June 9, Groff was asked about Black and Epstein's relationship. I thought they had a business relationship. I thought he was one of Epstein's clients, she said, adding that Black was a frequent visitor of Epstein's. No shit he was. And remember, there's also allegations that Black assaulted somebody at the townhouse. Black and Epstein's financial dealings had an alleged dark side. Black agreed to pay 62 and a half million to the U S Virgin Islands in 2023 in order to be released from any potential action arising from a three year investigation into Epstein's sex trafficking operation. According to the settlement. Now, why would he pay that if he had nothing to hide? That does not make sense. And anybody that acts like it makes sense is crazy. 62 and a half million dollars, really? And you have no criminal liability. You're just stalling out that money. Black was to be deposed in a lawsuit brought against bank of America by survivors of Epstein's abuse, who argued the financial institution turned a blind eye to suspicious transfers Black made to Epstein from the bank of America account, including 170 million for tax and estate planning advice. The money the plaintiffs allegedly was used to fund Epstein's sex trafficking enterprise. Black said that wasn't true. Bank of America agreed to pay 72 and a half million in March without admitting any wrongdoing, and Black never testified. Well, that's a shock, huh? Black walks away scot free again. That seems to be the ongoing theme, doesn't it? Senator Ron Wyden, part of the Senate Finance Committee, investigated Black for years and alleged Black may have funded hush money payments to women using Epstein as a middleman. Wyden said that in one email contained in the DOJ files, Epstein gave the location of a woman on Black's payroll to a Russian government operative and asked for suggestions on how to deal with her because she was attempting to blackmail a group of powerful businessmen in New York. I'm sure that had to do with tax planning advice as well, right? Your relationship and business dealings with Jeffrey Epstein should be properly investigated by the federal government, wieden wrote in a letter to Black earlier this year. Black, too, has been accused of sexual assault claims he denies. One woman said in a lawsuit that Black had raped her at Epstein's Manhattan townhouse in 2002. She eventually dropped the lawsuit, and Black said he had never met her. Another woman, a former model, accused Black of harassing and abusing her and argued he introduced her to Epstein. He countersued and her lawsuit was dismissed. One case remains open. Black was sued in 2023 by a woman who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager. A federal judge in April sanctioned the accuser, known as Jane Doe, her former attorney and the prominent law firm that had represented her for falsifying and potentially destroying evidence in the case. But the judge said the case could proceed. Black's attorney said in a statement after the ruling that the case never should have been filed. Estridge also said that the firm, Wigdor llp, had been warned that the claims were fraudulent. But Wigdor nevertheless continued the lawsuit and launched a media campaign to try and destroy Mr. Black in an attempt to shake him down for a financial windfall. Mr. Black refused because he knew the claims were false. So he knew those claims were false and he fought them. Yet down in the Virgin Islands. Well, he didn't do that, did he? I wonder why. Firm founder Doug Wigdor said in a statement that the firm was upset about the sanctions but pleased that its former client would get her day in court. Wigdor's firm filed a separate claim in March accusing Black of targeting it for representing accusers. Black denies it. That lawsuit is ongoing. So look, the Leon Black story is yet to be told, and we'll see what happens at the hearing later on today. But I doubt we're going to get anywhere. I doubt we're going to learn anything of substance. But we'll have to wait and see what Leon Black says and more importantly, what kind of questions are asked by Congress. And once we have the transcript, obviously we'll get that added to the catalog. All of the information that goes with this episode can be found in the description box.