‘Leon Black is hiding behind litigation’: outrage after billionaire sues Congress over subpoenas for Epstein investigation – live
Republican oversight chair James Comer says he will speak to committee about next steps as Democrat calls for holding billionaire in contempt for defying two subpoenas
'Leon Black is hiding behind litigation': outrage after billionaire sues Congress over subpoenas
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billionaire → hide → subpoenas
Republican oversight chair James Comer has also weighed in on Leon Black not sitting for a deposition about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
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Black → weigh → Epstein
The billionaire financier, who has denied wrongdoing, filed suit against the oversight committee Thursday alleging the subpoenas were improper.
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subpoenas → deny → committee
“It’s a shame Leon Black is hiding behind litigation rather than provide answers to the American people.
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Black → ’ → people
Our investigation is examining how the federal government for decades failed survivors of Jeffery Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes and how Mr. Epstein sought to curry favor with influential individuals to avoid scrutiny,” Comer said in a statement.
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Comer → examine → statement
“Mr. Black’s testimony is crucial to our investigation as he was one of Mr. Epstein’s fee paying clients and has several nondisclosure agreements.”
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he → pay → agreements
“Our deposition is moving forward this morning for the record and there will be an empty chair for Mr. Black.
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deposition → move → Black
I will speak with our members about next steps.”
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I → speak → steps
In a statement about the lawsuit, Black’s lawyers said: “The Committee is on a fishing expedition that oversteps its authority and completely ignores its responsibility.”
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that → say → responsibility
“This is no longer about finding the truth about Epstein.
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This → find → Epstein
It is about trying to destroy Mr. Black.
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It → try → Black
We were left with no choice but to file this lawsuit in response to an abuse of Congressional power.”
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We → leave → power
This is just in from Politico: GOP leaders are poised to announce that the last two weeks of this House session are canceled.
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weeks → poise → session
House members are expected to leave Washington by 17 September and “not return until mid-November”, per Politico.
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members → expect → Politico
This means they would come back after midterm elections.
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they → mean → elections
The House will work for one more week following this coming week’s Labor Day holiday, Politico said.
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Politico → work → holiday
They are expected to announce this cancelation on Thursday.
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They → expect → Thursday
As Republicans hold out hope that Donald Trump will distribute some of his $400m political war chest for the midterm elections, the President announced that he would campaign for GOP candidates in dozens of contests, NBC News reported
“I’m going to take the final 30 days, and maybe a little bit more than that, because it’s all about 35 races,” Trump said during a White House dinner with GOP legislators.
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Trump → hold → legislators
“I’m going to go to every one of those 35 places, and we’re going to see if we can get everyone elected.”
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everyone → go → places
Trump said that he would travel support Sen Dan Sullivan’s re-election campaign in Alaska as well as Texas attorney general Ken Paxton’s Senate bid, per NBC News.
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he → say → News
The president said he would not travel for races that seem like slam-dunks for the GOP.
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that → say → GOP
“If you’re leading by 40 points and you’ve been there for 25 years,” Trump reportedly said, “please don’t ask me to come to your area and make a speech, right?”
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Trump → lead → speech
'Leon Black is hiding behind litigation': outrage after billionaire sues Congress over subpoenas
Republican oversight chair James Comer has also weighed in on Leon Black not sitting for a deposition about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
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Black → hide → Epstein
The billionaire financier, who has denied wrongdoing,
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who → deny → ?
filed suit against the oversight committee Thursday alleging the subpoenas were improper.
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subpoenas → file → committee
“It’s a shame Leon Black is hiding behind litigation rather than provide answers to the American people.
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Black → ’ → people
Our investigation is examining how the federal government for decades failed survivors of Jeffery Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes and how Mr. Epstein sought to curry favor with influential individuals to avoid scrutiny,” Comer said in a statement.
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Comer → examine → statement
“Mr. Black’s testimony is crucial to our investigation as he was one of Mr. Epstein’s fee paying clients and has several nondisclosure agreements.”
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he → pay → agreements
“Our deposition is moving forward this morning for the record and there will be an empty chair for Mr. Black.
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deposition → move → Black
I will speak with our members about next steps.”
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I → speak → steps
In a statement about the lawsuit, Black’s lawyers said: “The Committee is on a fishing expedition that oversteps its authority and completely ignores its responsibility.”
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that → say → responsibility
“This is no longer about finding the truth about Epstein.
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This → find → Epstein
It is about trying to destroy Mr. Black.
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It → try → Black
We were left with no choice but to file this lawsuit in response to an abuse of Congressional power.”
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We → leave → power
Democrat calls for billionaire Leon Black to be held in contempt for defying subpoenas in Epstein case
Democrat representative Robert Garcia called for Leon Black to be held in contempt after the billionaire investor did not show up for a scheduled deposition about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
“By refusing to testify today, Leon Black is now defying two Congressional subpoenas,” said Garcia, the ranking member of the oversight committee.
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Garcia → call → committee
“His connections to Epstein and his unwillingness to cooperate are unacceptable,” Garcia also said.
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Garcia → cooperate → Epstein
“We must hold him in contempt immediately.”
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We → hold → contempt
Black, whose name has come up repeatedly in the Epstein files, has denied wrongdoing.
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name → come → wrongdoing
Black also said that he regrets dealing with Epstein.
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he → say → Epstein
Black left his transcribed interview with the oversight committee in June after refusing to respond to questions about non-disclosure agreements purportedly related to Epstein, according to reports.
Black’s attorneys on Thursday sued the oversight committee, alleging that two congressional subpoenas were “invalid.”
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subpoenas → leave → committee
…and 78 more, not listed.
