Leon Black, co-founder of Apollo Global Management, is slated to be deposed in a civil lawsuit against Bank of America, where plaintiffs allege the bank facilitated Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse of young women. U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff has scheduled a hearing to discuss Black’s forthcoming deposition. ([yahoo.com](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/leon-black-could-deposed-epstein-162602321.html?utm_source=openai))
The lawsuit contends that Bank of America ignored suspicious transactions between Black and Epstein. Judge Rakoff previously determined that the allegations of the bank’s reckless disregard for Epstein’s activities were sufficient for the case to proceed. ([yahoo.com](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/epstein-survivor-suit-alleging-bank-100500893.html?utm_source=openai))
Black has acknowledged paying Epstein approximately $158 million between 2012 and 2017 for tax and estate planning services. An independent review commissioned by Apollo’s board concluded that these payments were unrelated to Epstein’s criminal activities. Nonetheless, Black stepped down as Apollo’s CEO in 2021 following the revelations. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Black?utm_source=openai))
In 2023, Black agreed to a $62.5 million settlement with the U.S. Virgin Islands to resolve potential claims related to Epstein. This settlement included a $15 million contribution to a victim trust fund. ([epsteingate.org](https://epsteingate.org/investigations/leon-black-158m-trafficking-pipeline?utm_source=openai))
The upcoming deposition is part of the ongoing legal proceedings, with a trial scheduled for May 11. Bank of America has previously stated that the plaintiff’s allegations do not demonstrate intentional obstruction of law enforcement. ([yahoo.com](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/leon-black-could-deposed-epstein-162602321.html?utm_source=openai))