A federal judge has imposed sanctions on a law firm representing a woman who has accused billionaire Leon Black of sexual assault tied to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. However, the judge did not dismiss the case entirely.
In a detailed 76-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Jessica Clark noted that attorney Jean Christensen and her firm, Wigdor LLP, engaged in “serious and punishable misconduct” throughout the proceedings. The judge specifically indicated that Christensen had “repeatedly lied” to the court and opposing counsel about related litigation and had even instructed her client to delete potentially relevant social media accounts.
Clark mentioned that while the misconduct was serious enough to warrant a consideration of case-terminating sanctions, he ultimately decided that lighter sanctions would be sufficient.
The allegations claim that Black, a co-founder of Apollo Global Management, raped a 16-year-old girl in New York City back in 2002. The accuser, identified as “Jane Doe,” asserts that she had been previously abused and groomed by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, and that she was trafficked to other men, including Black.
The judge raised concerns about the reliability of the plaintiff’s evidence, noting that some materials, such as ultrasound images from a personal diary, appeared to be falsified. Although Clark didn’t rule on the main allegations, he found certain supporting evidence to be questionable.
The plaintiff claimed she was forced to become pregnant due to the sexual abuse and described being subjected to a “pregnancy game” orchestrated by Epstein and others. Clark noted that the plaintiff testified about ultrasounds that supposedly documented her pregnancies related to this abuse, including one that resulted in a live birth and one that was aborted.
The judge instructed Christensen to submit fraud judgments in her federal cases to the Second Circuit within the next year or five years if sanctions are sought against her or her firm. Wigdor LLP, now no longer representing the plaintiffs, was required to cover the defendant’s legal costs related to the sanctions motion, and the plaintiff was barred from using the journal that contained the falsified ultrasound records.
Wigdor LLP expressed disappointment over the sanctions but indicated the case was still ongoing. Douglas Wigdor, the firm’s founder, stated that they were pleased their former clients would have their opportunity in court.
Black’s attorney asserted that the plaintiff’s credibility has been “tarnished” and called for the case to be dismissed, even urging authorities to investigate what she labeled a “fraud.”
Black, who stepped down from Apollo Global Management in 2021, has denied any wrongdoing and is among several high-profile individuals slated to testify before the House Oversight Committee next month regarding connections to Epstein and Maxwell.
Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021 and is now serving a 20-year sentence.
