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<v Speaker 1>What's up, everyone, and welcome to another episode of the

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<v Speaker 1>Epstein Chronicles. In this episode, we're going to talk a

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<v Speaker 1>little bit more about Leon Black and the contempt threat

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<v Speaker 1>that's been leveled by James Comer. And I can't express

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<v Speaker 1>how important it is to make sure that Leon Black

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<v Speaker 1>gets put on the record. This is a man that

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<v Speaker 1>knows a lot more than he has ever let on

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<v Speaker 1>and the fact that he's been playing games for all

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<v Speaker 1>these years is just a gigantic tell imagine saying that

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<v Speaker 1>you don't have any idea what Epstein was up to,

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<v Speaker 1>that you have no idea that he was involved in

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<v Speaker 1>human trafficking, and then to have these emails come out,

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<v Speaker 1>to have this information come out and have it absolutely

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<v Speaker 1>blow your narrative out of the water. And instead of,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, having some humility and admitting you're a liar,

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<v Speaker 1>you just double down on the process. And that's exactly

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<v Speaker 1>what Leon Black has done time and time again. And

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<v Speaker 1>this is one of those rare times when Congress actually

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<v Speaker 1>has a chance to do something good. Now, does that

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<v Speaker 1>mean I think they're going to I don't, especially considering

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<v Speaker 1>how powerful Leon Black is. It's going to be very

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<v Speaker 1>difficult for them to really do the right thing when

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<v Speaker 1>it comes to Leon Black, but they should, and I

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<v Speaker 1>think there's plenty here. I think there is plenty of

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<v Speaker 1>information when it comes to Leon Black in his relationship

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<v Speaker 1>with Epstein to initiate an investigation to see just how

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<v Speaker 1>deep those ties went and if there was any kind

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<v Speaker 1>of financial malfeasons. Does anyone really think that these guys

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<v Speaker 1>were involved in all these cash transactions, all of this

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<v Speaker 1>purchasing of fine art and the rest of it, and

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<v Speaker 1>they were all on point when it comes to their

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<v Speaker 1>taxes when it comes to declaring what's what? Does anyone

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<v Speaker 1>really believe that? Look, in the best of times, these

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<v Speaker 1>people aren't being honest, never mind in the worst of times.

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<v Speaker 1>So when I talk about going after Leon Black, I'm

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<v Speaker 1>talking about financially and then if anything else is there,

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<v Speaker 1>it'll fall into place. But first things first, we should

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<v Speaker 1>be doing a gigantic dive into this man's finances. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>talking forensic accountants and the whole damn thing. So today

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<v Speaker 1>we have an article from The Guardian and the headline

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<v Speaker 1>Epstein client Leon Black threatened with contempt by House panel

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<v Speaker 1>chair And look, I just have no faith in James

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<v Speaker 1>Comer and I just don't think he has the courage

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<v Speaker 1>to do what he needs to do, and a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of that has to do with this fear of Donald Trump.

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<v Speaker 1>We see how Donald Trump is dealt with people who

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<v Speaker 1>have stepped out of line when it comes to Epstein,

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<v Speaker 1>and James Comer doesn't want to be the next casualty.

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<v Speaker 1>This article was authored by Stephanie Kirch Gasner. The Republican

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<v Speaker 1>chairman of the House Oversight Committee has threatened the whole

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<v Speaker 1>private equity investor Leon Black in contempt if he does

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<v Speaker 1>not fully cooperate with the panels ongoing investigation into Jeffrey Epstein,

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<v Speaker 1>amid accusations that the billionaire is purposely delaying and disrupting

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<v Speaker 1>the Panels in or. A letter released by Representative James

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<v Speaker 1>Comer's office on Tuesday, which was addressed to Black's lawyer,

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<v Speaker 1>revealed new details about the high stage clash between the

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<v Speaker 1>powerful Kentucky congressman and Black, the co founder of Apollo

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<v Speaker 1>Asset Management, who was Epstein's friend and former client and

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<v Speaker 1>paid Epstein tens of millions of dollars in fees. If

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<v Speaker 1>mister Black refuses to provide the committee with responsive documents

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<v Speaker 1>or refuses to appear for his scheduled deposition on September third,

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<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty six. The Committee will use all tools at

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<v Speaker 1>its disposal, including contempt, Comer said, and look, I just

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<v Speaker 1>don't have any faith in it. I know I keep

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<v Speaker 1>saying that, but it's worth saying again. And I wish

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<v Speaker 1>there was some way that we could hold their feet

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<v Speaker 1>to the fire, but we can't. Right, It's not like

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<v Speaker 1>you're going to convince these Republicans on the committee to

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<v Speaker 1>do anything they don't want to do. And remember, everything

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<v Speaker 1>is shaded with the specter of Donald Trump hanging over them.

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<v Speaker 1>They know that Donald Trump doesn't want more transparency. They

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<v Speaker 1>know that Donald Trump doesn't want more answers, so of

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<v Speaker 1>course they don't want any more answers either. Then, Susan Estrich,

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<v Speaker 1>Black's lawyer rejected Comer's assertions in a statement released on

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<v Speaker 1>Tuesday night, saying the letter was misrepresenting the facts and

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<v Speaker 1>that Black was being targeted in a political witch hunt.

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<v Speaker 1>Black voluntarily agreed to be questioned by the House Panel

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<v Speaker 1>in June as part of the committee's broad investigation into Epstein,

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<v Speaker 1>which the panel has said includes an examination of the

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<v Speaker 1>alleged mismanagement of the federal government's investigation into the Late

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<v Speaker 1>Sexual Predator, Well, we haven't seen any of that. We

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<v Speaker 1>don't even know the names of the agents that were involved.

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<v Speaker 1>We have no idea. So how can you have accountability

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<v Speaker 1>if you have no idea who was involved? And I

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<v Speaker 1>think that's one of the biggest issues when it comes

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<v Speaker 1>to the redactions that we've seen in the Epstein files.

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<v Speaker 1>How the fuck are we going to hold anybody accountable

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<v Speaker 1>if we don't know who was involved? And keep in mind,

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<v Speaker 1>that's the plan, right If you can't have any names,

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<v Speaker 1>you can't hold anyone responsible, and you can just blame

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<v Speaker 1>the system. But there's people that work within the system

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<v Speaker 1>that make the system move, and those are the people

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<v Speaker 1>that need to be held accountable. And what we're seeing

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<v Speaker 1>here with Leon Black is one of the main reasons

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<v Speaker 1>why I don't want them doing this on a voluntary basis.

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<v Speaker 1>This needs to be done under subpoena and there needs

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<v Speaker 1>to be severe penalties for people that lie to Congress.

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<v Speaker 1>But there never is. The operation of sex trafficking rings

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<v Speaker 1>and the ways in which Epstein and his companion Glenne

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<v Speaker 1>Maxwell sought to curry favor to protect there are legal activities, well,

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<v Speaker 1>it wasn't difficult, right. They found a bunch of fellow travelers,

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<v Speaker 1>people who wanted a little something, and those people were

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<v Speaker 1>all too willing to go along with the nonsense. And

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<v Speaker 1>if it wasn't for you demanding transparency and justice, these

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<v Speaker 1>sons of bitches would have lied about it until the

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<v Speaker 1>end of time. But Black's appearance ended abruptly after just

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<v Speaker 1>one hour of questioning, after members of both parties said

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<v Speaker 1>Black was refusing to answer questions about non disclosure agreements NDAs.

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<v Speaker 1>Comer in his capacity as committee chair, issued two subpoenas

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<v Speaker 1>on that day in response to Black's alleged lack of cooperation,

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<v Speaker 1>one demanding that Black produce all non disclosure agreements to

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<v Speaker 1>which he is party and another demanding he appeared before

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<v Speaker 1>the committee for a deposition. And that's where the fight is.

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<v Speaker 1>Leon Black doesn't want to turn over these NDAs, He

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't want to out himself, and he feels like he

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<v Speaker 1>can fight that, but I don't think he can, especially

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<v Speaker 1>if Epstein had anything to do with any of them.

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<v Speaker 1>The fight between the Congressional Overside Panel and Black is

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<v Speaker 1>now centered on the scope of the Oversight Committee's investigation.

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<v Speaker 1>Black has so far handed over one NDA to the

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<v Speaker 1>Committee for review, and according to this week letter, As

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<v Speaker 1>indicated he's willing to provide one additional NDA. But wait,

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<v Speaker 1>I thought that was impossible. I thought there were no

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<v Speaker 1>more that were relating to Jeffrey Epstein. Could it be

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<v Speaker 1>that Leon Black is telling lies? I would never, ever,

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<v Speaker 1>ever suspect that is in Leon Black, the most truthful

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<v Speaker 1>man and the history of truthful men. But in return,

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<v Speaker 1>according to Comer, Black's attorneys are seeking or promise that

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<v Speaker 1>Black will not be held in contempt. They are also

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<v Speaker 1>seeking to change the planned deposition subpoena to a voluntary

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<v Speaker 1>transcribed interview. No enough with the voluntary bullshit Black's attorneys,

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<v Speaker 1>Comer said, we're also seeking to limit the scope of

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<v Speaker 1>questions about confidentiality agreements to the two NDAs he's willing

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<v Speaker 1>to provide. Black's team was also seeking to delay the

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<v Speaker 1>interview from September to early October. At no point, as

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<v Speaker 1>mister Black sought a reasonable accommodation from the Committee, but

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<v Speaker 1>rather he has consistently sought to dictate to the Committee

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<v Speaker 1>the scope of its investigation. Comer wrote, so what are

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<v Speaker 1>you waiting for? Hit his ass with a subpoena and

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<v Speaker 1>let's get moving. Enough is enough. The problem is these

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<v Speaker 1>guys all know they can get away with whatever they want,

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<v Speaker 1>and why do they feel so brazen because they've gotten

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<v Speaker 1>away with it for so long. One of the major

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<v Speaker 1>points of contention appears centered on the timing of NDAs

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<v Speaker 1>that Black may have entered. According to Comer's letter, Black

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<v Speaker 1>defended his decision to provide a single NDA because to

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<v Speaker 1>the extent any more such confidentiality agreements exist, they would

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<v Speaker 1>have been negotiated well after Epstein's death in twenty nineteen. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>that shouldn't matter. As long as it could involve Epstein,

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<v Speaker 1>it shouldn't matter at all. In response, Comer said that

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<v Speaker 1>Black did not have the right to decide what documents

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<v Speaker 1>are responsive to a subpoena, and that any agreement signed

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<v Speaker 1>after Epstein's death could still involve Epstein's victims. Well, that's

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<v Speaker 1>a one hundred percent fact, and it's true. And as

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<v Speaker 1>much as I hate to agree with mister Comer, he's

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<v Speaker 1>definitely right here. Astrich Black's lawyers said mister Black provided

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<v Speaker 1>the committee with the only confidentiality agreement that predated Epstein's death,

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<v Speaker 1>and the only one of which Epstein was aware. She

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<v Speaker 1>added that Congress has no right to invade private lives

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<v Speaker 1>as part of a fishing expedition, especially where the parties

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<v Speaker 1>to a confidentiality agreement do not want their identities revealed

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<v Speaker 1>in a circus like atmosphere, and especially when Epstein had

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<v Speaker 1>nothing to do with any agreement. Boy, she has some nerve,

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<v Speaker 1>some nerve the private lives a fishing expedition. Really, here's

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<v Speaker 1>an idea, Why does near client tell the truth? That

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<v Speaker 1>might be a good place to start. According to a

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<v Speaker 1>report commission by Apollos several years ago, Epstein provided financial

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<v Speaker 1>services to Black between twenty twelve and twenty seventeen. After

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<v Speaker 1>Epstein pleaded guilty to Florida state prostitution charges in two

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<v Speaker 1>thousand and eight, including procuring a minor, Black became Epstein's

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<v Speaker 1>largest client, paying him a total of roughly one hundred

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<v Speaker 1>six tventy million in fees, according to an investigation by

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<v Speaker 1>the Senate Finance Committee's ranking member Ron Wyden. And there's

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<v Speaker 1>no doubt that without Leon Black, none of this really

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<v Speaker 1>ever happens. Leon Black was a driving force financially speaking.

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<v Speaker 1>Black has described as work for Epstein as tax and

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<v Speaker 1>estate planning services. In his statement, before the Oversight Committee

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<v Speaker 1>in June, Black wrote, I did not know about this

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<v Speaker 1>nefarious activity until Epstein was charged with trafficking in July

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<v Speaker 1>of twenty nineteen. But Black acknowledged that he did know

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<v Speaker 1>about Epstein pleading guilty in two thousand and eight to

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<v Speaker 1>stay charges relating to prostitution involving a minor. And look,

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<v Speaker 1>in my opinion, he knew about all of it. He

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<v Speaker 1>knew what Epstein was, He knew exactly the kind of animal,

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<v Speaker 1>the kind of monster that Jeffrey Epstein was. He just

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<v Speaker 1>didn't care. And the truth is, he still doesn't care.

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<v Speaker 1>The only reason that he's answering any questions now is

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<v Speaker 1>because he asked to. So the whole entire voluntary thing

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<v Speaker 1>that should be something that isn't even offered. And that's

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<v Speaker 1>because Leon Black had the chance to tell the truth

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<v Speaker 1>on his own terms and he chose not to. Now

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<v Speaker 1>he should be forced to tell the truth on whatever

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<v Speaker 1>terms that are set by Congress. That's what should happen.

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<v Speaker 1>Will it happen, Well, that's the question. All the information

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<v Speaker 1>that goes with this episode can be found in the

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<v Speaker 1>description box.