Federal Judge Sanctions Lawyer In Leon Black Epstein-Linked Assault Case
A federal judge this week sanctioned the lawyer for an anonymous accuser in a federal lawsuit against billionaire Leon Black, saying the attorney "lied repeatedly" during the Epstein-linked case, Fox News reports.
The judge also sanctioned the plaintiff and her law firm, finding key evidence had been falsified and that the lawyer repeatedly misled the court. The case was brought by an accuser who alleged she was trafficked to and raped at Jeffrey Epstein's New York townhouse.
The episode traces back to Jeffrey Epstein's 2019 arrest and death, which exposed his network and intensified scrutiny of Leon Black after reports he paid Epstein $158 million between 2012 and 2017 and stepped down as Apollo Global Management CEO in March 2021. Multiple civil suits followed, including a 2021 suit by Guzel Ganieva and a 2022 claim later dropped in 2024.
The anonymous federal suit at the center of this week's sanctions was filed in July 2023 and alleged the rape occurred in 2002 when the accuser was a minor. Counsel for a class action against Epstein's estate later concluded the accuser never met Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell based on flight logs and victim recognition, a finding that undermined her credibility and helped prompt the sanctions. Black's lawyer Susan Estrich welcomed the ruling as confirmation of serious misconduct and urged that the suit be withdrawn. Fox News
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📊 Relevant Data
Between 2012 and 2017, Leon Black paid Jeffrey Epstein $158 million for tax and estate planning services. ([U.S. Senate Committee on Finance](https://www.finance.senate.gov/ranking-members-news/wyden-releases-new-information-on-financing-of-jeffrey-epsteins-operations-by-billionaire-leon-black-seeks-documents-from-trump-administration)) ([U.S. Senate Committee on Finance](https://www.finance.senate.gov/ranking-members-news/wyden-releases-new-information-on-financing-of-jeffrey-epsteins-operations-by-billionaire-leon-black-seeks-documents-from-trump-administration)) ([U.S. Senate Committee on Finance](https://www.finance.senate.gov/ranking-members-news/wyden-releases-new-information-on-financing-of-jeffrey-epsteins-operations-by-billionaire-leon-black-seeks-documents-from-trump-administration)) ([U.S. Senate Committee on Finance](https://www.finance.senate.gov/ranking-members-news/wyden-releases-new-information-on-financing-of-jeffrey-epsteins-operations-by-billionaire-leon-black-seeks-documents-from-trump-administration))
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. ([CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/20/woman-drops-claim-of-leon-black-rape-at-jeffrey-epstein-mansion.html)) ([CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/20/woman-drops-claim-of-leon-black-rape-at-jeffrey-epstein-mansion.html)) ([CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/20/woman-drops-claim-of-leon-black-rape-at-jeffrey-epstein-mansion.html)) ([CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/20/woman-drops-claim-of-leon-black-rape-at-jeffrey-epstein-mansion.html))
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. ([U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York](https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/new-york/nysdce/1:2023cv06418/602764/388)) ([U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York](https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/new-york/nysdce/1:2023cv06418/602764/388)) ([U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York](https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/new-york/nysdce/1:2023cv06418/602764/388)) ([U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York](https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/new-york/nysdce/1:2023cv06418/602764/388))
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.
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