WASHINGTON — Leon Black is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Friday. The committee is investigating the federal government's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. Black and Epstein had a business relationship spanning decades.

Prior to his scheduled testimony, Black has denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein's criminal conduct. "With the benefit of hindsight, working with him was a horrible mistake on my part," Black stated. He left Apollo Global Management in 2021 after the company disclosed he had paid Epstein hundreds of millions of dollars for financial advice between 2012 and 2017.

Black's attorney, Susan Estrich, stated that a former federal prosecutor, commissioned by Apollo, reviewed over 60,000 documents and interviewed more than 20 individuals, including Black. Estrich said the investigation concluded that Black paid Epstein only for tax and real estate planning advice for his family office. "The investigation further found that Epstein's work had been vetted and approved by best-in-class law and accounting firms. It also found that he had no awareness of the criminal activities that led to Epstein's arrest in 2019," Estrich stated.

The phrase "Please call Leon Black" appears more than 300 times in the Jeffrey Epstein investigative files released by the Justice Department. In a 2014 email, Epstein wrote to Black: "Leon, as you are well aware, there is little I won't do for you or at least try to do as a friend. And a great deal that I have already done (both known and some things that will need to remain unknown.)." Black's phone number appears more than 200 times in the 3.5 million public Epstein files.

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden investigated Black for years regarding his connections to Epstein. Wyden alleged that Black may have used Epstein as a middleman to funnel hush money payments to women. Wyden stated that an email in the Department of Justice files showed Epstein provided the location of a woman on Black's payroll to a Russian government operative. Wyden wrote in a letter to Black: "Your relationship and business dealings with Jeffrey Epstein should be properly investigated by the federal government."

Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl in Florida in 2008. He died by suicide in 2019 in his cell while awaiting a criminal trial in New York. Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of federal sex trafficking charges.

New Mexico launched an investigation into Epstein's dealings at his Zorro Ranch. Epstein served as a director of Black's family foundation and as Black's financial adviser. Black and Epstein were introduced by a mutual friend in the 1990s.