Democratic U.S. Representative Ro Khanna of California on Wednesday took a swipe at Ivy League school Dartmouth College for keeping billionaire Leon Black’s name on a school building amid his ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Black retired from his investment firm Apollo five years ago following a review that found he paid Epstein over $150 million for financial services from 2012 to 2017, according to the Senate Finance Committee in 2023. The alleged transactions occurred after Epstein was registered as a sex offender.
Newsweek reached out to Dartmouth and Black’s lawyer via email for comment Wednesday night.
Why It Matters
Dartmouth named its visual arts center after Leon and Debra Black in 2012 after a $48 million gift, a high-profile naming that now faces renewed debate as litigation and congressional inquiries spotlight the extent of Black’s financial relationship with Epstein, who was found dead in a New York City jail cell while awaiting his sex-trafficking trial in 2019.
Khanna’s remarks arrive alongside the release of millions of pages of Justice Department records under the Epstein Files Transparency Act signed last year.
What To Know
While speaking with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins about testimony that Richard Kahn—Epstein’s former accountant and estate co-executor—gave to members of Congress on Wednesday, Khanna said, “The biggest takeaway is that how many people were financially involved with Epstein at a significant level, two people who we allegedly already know, Les Wexner and Leon Black. And I just have to say this, because I was up at Dartmouth at the invitation of the university president, Dartmouth still has Leon Black up on their buildings. That is appalling given all that has come out.
“They need to remove that and there needs to be accountability for some of these men who have very serious allegations of having abused or raped young girls. … He also talked about the Rothschilds being involved and a lot of information about other people who had deep ties allegedly to Epstein.”
The New Hampshire school newspaper reports that Black pledged to donate $500,000 for renovations to the President’s House at the college and over $350,000 to Jewish studies programs, with the paper citing a 2014 financial summary from Dartmouth released by the Department of Justice.
Black, who sat on Dartmouth’s Board of Trustees from 2002 to 2011, has been accused by numerous women of sexual abuse and has denied wrongdoing or having any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal conduct, Reuters reports.
What People Are Saying
The House Oversight Committee, on X Wednesday: “NEW: Epstein’s accountant is now the FIFTH witness to tell the Committee that President Trump was NOT involved. He also identified five Epstein clients who paid MILLIONS in fees: • Les Wexner • Glenn Dubin • Steven Sinofsky • The Rothschilds • Leon Black”
Republican Congressman James Comer of Kentucky, on X in part this month: “I’m calling on 7 individuals to appear for transcribed interviews: Bill Gates Kathryn Ruemmler Leon Black Lesley Groff Sarah Kellen Ted Waitt Doug Band The Oversight Committee is continuing to seek the truth for survivors & all Americans.”
Khanna, on X earlier this month in a video standing in front of the building named after Black: “A building at Dartmouth is still named after Leon Black who has serious allegations against him in the Epstein files. This is what I mean by the Epstein class.”
What Happens Next
U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff granted Black a 10-day delay regarding a potential deposition, now scheduled to begin March 26, in a lawsuit filed by Epstein accusers alleging Bank of America facilitated in Epstein’s abuse, Reuters reports.
It is immediately unknown to Newsweek at the time of publication if Dartmouth has any plans to change the building’s name.
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