Federal Judge Sanctions Lawyer In Leon Black Epstein-Linked Assault Case
A federal judge this week sanctioned a lawyer who represented an accuser in a federal lawsuit accusing billionaire Leon Black of sexual assault tied to Jeffrey Epstein, finding the lawyer "lied repeatedly" in court filings.
The judge said filings contained false statements and fabricated evidence, and imposed monetary and procedural penalties on the lawyer and her client. Leon Black's attorney Susan Estrich said the sanctions confirmed serious misconduct and urged the case be withdrawn.
The episode traces back to Jeffrey Epstein's July 2019 arrest and to revelations that Leon Black paid Epstein about $158 million for financial advice between 2012 and 2017. An independent review in January 2021 found no evidence Black participated in Epstein's crimes, but he stepped down as Apollo Global Management's chief executive in March 2021. Since then, multiple civil suits have been filed, including a 2021 claim by model Guzel Ganieva and a 2022 suit that was dropped in February 2024. In July 2023 an anonymous plaintiff represented by Jeanne Christensen of Wigdor LLP filed a federal suit alleging she was raped at Epstein's New York townhouse as a teenager. Separate counsel later concluded the woman did not appear in flight logs and was not recognized by other victims, a finding that undercut elements of her claim.
Coverage that initially focused on Black's ties to Epstein and his payments has shifted toward scrutiny of the new suit after the judge's finding of false filings. Reactions on social media were split, with some praising the sanctions and others saying the ruling does not erase allegations of abuse connected to Epstein.
📊 Relevant Data
Between 2012 and 2017, Leon Black paid Jeffrey Epstein $158 million for tax and estate planning services.
Wyden Releases New Information on Financing of Jeffrey Epstein’s Operations by Billionaire Leon Black, Seeks Documents from Trump Administration — U.S. Senate Committee on Finance
Leon Black faced another lawsuit in 2023 from a different plaintiff alleging he raped her at Jeffrey Epstein's mansion in 2002, which was voluntarily dismissed in February 2024.
Woman drops claim of Leon Black rape at Jeffrey Epstein mansion — CNBC
Counsel for the class action against Jeffrey Epstein's estate concluded that the plaintiff in this case never met Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell, based on her not appearing in flight logs and not being recognized by other victims.
Doe v. Black, No. 1:2023cv06418 - Document 388 (S.D.N.Y. 2026) — U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
📌 Key Facts
- U.S. District Judge Jessica Clarke issued a 76-page sanctions order in a civil suit accusing Leon Black of raping a 16-year-old in 2002.
- The judge found attorney Jeanne Christensen and Wigdor LLP committed "serious, sanctionable misconduct," including repeatedly lying to the court and opposing counsel and directing deletion of a potentially relevant social media account.
- Clarke ordered Christensen to disclose the sanctions ruling in future federal cases for specified periods, required Wigdor LLP to pay Black’s fees on the sanctions motion, and barred use of journals containing falsified sonogram images as evidence.
- The underlying case, which alleges Epstein- and Maxwell-linked trafficking and assault, remains active and has not been dismissed.
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time