\n<\/p>\n
A law firm that represented multiple women who accused former Jeffrey Epstein associate Leon Black of sexual misconduct alleged in a Manhattan civil suit on Monday that the powerful financier deployed \u201cmultiple frivolous and malicious lawsuits\u201d as retaliation for representing these accusers.<\/p>\n
Wigdor LLP claimed Black, who co-founded and formerly chaired Apollo Global Management, tried \u201cto use his billions to buy his own form of justice\u201d and \u201cto weaponize the civil justice system to silence and destroy those who seek to hold him to account for alleged sexual assault\u201d. Black has emphatically denied all wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
Lawyers for Black also strongly disputed the claims made in Wigdor\u2019s suit. \u201cThis lawsuit is another bogus attempt by Wigdor to attack Mr Black under false pretenses,\u201d said Black\u2019s attorney, Susan Estrich of Estrich Goldin.<\/p>\n
One of the three lawsuits cited by Wigdor involved Black accuser Guzel Ganieva, who sued him in June 2021 alleging that he \u201cviolently sexually assaulted\u201d her for years. Black sued Ganieva and Wigdor, who represented her at the time, that October, claiming they \u201cconspired to harm\u201d him; this civil action was dismissed. Ganieva\u2019s civil suit against Black was also dismissed.<\/p>\n
Wigdor\u2019s suit against Black, filed in New York county supreme court, cites recently disclosed Epstein investigative files that appear to show Epstein plotting with the powerful Wall Street lawyer Brad Karp to try to arrange Ganieva\u2019s deportation. While Epstein and Karp\u2019s discussions did not result in deportation, these 2015 emails also reveal discussions about coordinated surveillance on Ganieva and whether she could be jailed.<\/p>\n
Epstein on 29 July 2015 wrote to Karp: \u201cIs it possible for your contacts to 1 get her current visa status ? 2. Is there a way for us to file something that would revoke a tourist visa?\u201d<\/p>\n
Several hours later, Karp responded: \u201cBoth good ideas; will work on this.\u201d<\/p>\n
These messages indicated that the woman was bothering an Epstein associate with the name \u201cLeon\u201d. Epstein said on 16 August 2015: \u201ccan you tell me for certain that if leon decides enough is enough, ( she has not responded to an email from him that says i am checking on you). that you and lorin can have her arrested.!! fed extortion, high bail. . maybe deportation?\u201d<\/p>\n
While Lorin\u2019s surname is not mentioned in these documents, a lawyer with the name Lorin Reisner, who went to the white-shoe firm Paul Weiss approximately a year before these Epstein-Karp exchanges, had previously led the Manhattan federal prosecutor office\u2019s criminal section. Karp suggested in an email that \u201cLorin\u2019s\u201d connections might move the needle in regards to Ganieva.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll check again with lorin, but my strong belief is that the answer is yes. Especially with the referral coming from the most recent head of the sdny usao,\u201d Karp said on 16 August 2015.<\/p>\n
Karp stepped down from his top role at Paul Weiss earlier this year after his correspondence with Epstein surfaced.<\/p>\n
Neither Karp, Reisner nor Paul Weiss immediately responded to a request for comment. They also did not respond to prior requests for comment on the Guardian\u2019s 10 February story detailing Epstein and Karp\u2019s communications about deportation.<\/p>\n
Wigdor claims Black\u2019s lawsuits violate New York state\u2019s anti-Slapp (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) law, which is designed to protect individuals and organizations from frivolous lawsuits. The complaint states that of the three lawsuits Black filed against the firm, two were dismissed and one is still pending.<\/p>\n
Wigdor alleges that Black\u2019s lawsuits tried thwarting accusers\u2019 rights to free speech and that the firm suffered reputational harm due to Black\u2019s lawsuits. \u201cPunishing lawyers for the clients they represent subverts not only the administration of justice but also the principle of equality under the law, and, thus, the American legal system,\u201d the complaint states.<\/p>\n
Black\u2019s ties to Epstein have drawn renewed attention in recent months as he was repeatedly mentioned in the recently released Epstein files. For example, Black appears on a page titled \u201cPROMINENT NAMES\u201d in an FBI presentation about Epstein\u2019s case.<\/p>\n
It remains unclear for whom this presentation was made, and the slideshow does not indicate whether authorities verified any allegations against these men. Black has not been charged with any crimes related to Epstein.<\/p>\n
Estrich also noted last month that Black \u201casked for an independent investigation of his relationship with Epstein\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Dechert law firm investigated and reviewed more than 60,000 documents, interviewed more than 20 people and concluded that Mr Black paid Epstein for estate planning and tax advice and that he had no awareness of Epstein\u2019s criminal activities,\u201d Estrich said.<\/p>\n
Estrich also previously said: \u201cThere is absolutely no truth to any of the allegations against Mr Black.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under Black\u2019s name, the document referenced allegations that Epstein had reportedly \u201ctold [name redacted] to give Black a massage while Black was naked\u201d. An accuser \u201cstated another female gave Black a massage and he made her perform oral sex\u201d.<\/p>\n
Black\u2019s team said Wigdor\u2019s suit was an effort to redeem itself for unsuccessful lawsuits against Black.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe facts are quite simple. Wigdor has abused the legal system, manipulated the media, and they are desperate to avoid being held accountable for their own failings,\u201d said Estrich.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere have only been three lawsuits filed against Mr Black all by Wigdor and all have failed \u2013 one case has been dismissed, the other withdrawn, and the Jane Doe case is facing a motion for case terminating sanctions. Wigdor was fired by Guzel Ganieva and ceased representation of Jane Doe in an attempt to avoid being sanctioned.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked for comment on Black\u2019s statement, Raymond Audain, the attorney representing Wigdor, said: \u201cThis case is about whether wealthy individuals can weaponize the justice system to silence not just their accusers, but also the attorneys who represent them.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhile too many foundational American institutions have been coopted and corrupted by billionaires, our courts have, thankfully, remained guarantors of equal justice,\u201d said Audain, a partner at Giskan Solotaroff & Anderson. \u201cRetaliating against lawyers for representing survivors subverts not just the principle of equality under the law, but also the American legal system.\u201d<\/p>\n In January 2023, Black agreed to pay $62.5m to the US Virgin Islands, as to be released from any possible legal claims related to local authorities\u2019 investigation of Epstein\u2019s sex trafficking in the territory. The Senate finance committee said in March 2025 that they had encountered documents indicating that Black, who claimed he had hired Epstein for tax and estate planning advice, paid him $170m.<\/p>\n Epstein in 2008 landed a sweetheart plea deal with Florida prosecutors. He pleaded guilty to state-level prostitution charges and was able to avoid federal prosecution amid numerous allegations that he abused teen girls at his Palm Beach manse.<\/p>\n Epstein was arrested in 2019 on sex-trafficking charges. He died in jail awaiting his Manhattan federal court trial.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A law firm that represented multiple women who accused former Jeffrey Epstein associate Leon Black of sexual misconduct alleged in a Manhattan civil suit on Monday that the powerful financier deployed \u201cmultiple frivolous and malicious lawsuits\u201d as retaliation for representing these accusers. Wigdor LLP claimed Black, who co-founded and formerly chaired Apollo Global Management, tried<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45800,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[12681,1532,706,23520,1466,175,18885,150,2597,7388,23521],"class_list":{"0":"post-45799","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-accusers","9":"tag-bid","10":"tag-black","11":"tag-epsteinlinked","12":"tag-firm","13":"tag-law","14":"tag-leon","15":"tag-news","16":"tag-silence","17":"tag-suit","18":"tag-waged"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=45799"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45799\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/45800"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}