Billionaire Leon Black walks out of Epstein investigation hearing

Billionaire Leon Black walks out of Epstein investigation hearing Image source, Getty ImagesBySareen HabeshianPublished1 minute agoBillionaire investor Leon Black walked out of a closed-door hearing with the congressional committee investigating late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after refusing to answer questions on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), say lawmakers.Black, whose name comes up in the Epstein files released by the justice department, testified voluntarily. But he left after he was asked about NDAs he may have signed, the panel chairman said.The House of Representatives Oversight Committee issued two subpoenas for Black to share NDAs and give an on-camera deposition under oath.Black left Apollo Global Management, which he co-founded, in 2021 amid scrutiny over his Epstein ties. He denies wrongdoing. "We want to know, was Jeffrey Epstein involved in the NDAs?" the committee's Republican chairman, James Comer, said on Friday. "Was he involved in writing? Was he involved in awarding funds to the women for the NDAs? What was the reason for the NDA? We want to know everything about the NDAs."Nondisclosure agreements, commonly called NDAs, are contracts where both parties agree to keep information confidential, often as part of a settlement or employment agreement.Black's attorneys confirmed to the BBC he walked out after his legal team "made their final comments".The private equity tycoon hired Epstein as a wealth management adviser and allegedly spoke to him about personal matters, including extramarital affairs from which NDAs resulted, according to the BBC's media partner CBS News.During his brief appearance on Friday, Black reportedly told the committee he had paid Epstein $158m (£120m) for legitimate purposes over the course of their years-long association. That amount was the subject of a Senate investigation into whether Black had intentionally overpaid Epstein, cloaking money paid for personal reasons in the...