Jeffrey Epstein probe sparks bill to let sexual-abuse survivors break NDAs

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James Comer, who chairs the House Oversight Committee, proposed a bill that would void NDAs silencing sexual assault victims.

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James Comer introduced a bill that would allow sexual abuse victims to break NDAs.

The House Oversight Committee, which he chairs, is investigating Jeffrey Epstein and his associates.

The committee voted to hold Leon Black in contempt after he refused to turn over all his NDAs.

The chair of a congressional committee trying to pry non-disclosure agreements from billionaire Leon Black for its Jeffrey Epstein investigation proposed a bill on Wednesday that would allow victims of sexual abuse to break NDAs.

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James Comer announced the bill a day after the House Oversight Committee unanimously voted for a resolution to hold Black, the Epstein associate and former CEO of Apollo Global Management, in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena requiring him to hand over all of his NDAs, and any in his possession that reference Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell.

"During our investigation, we've learned how powerful men weaponized nondisclosure agreements to silence survivors of sexual abuse," Comer, a Kentucky Republican, said in a statement Wednesday.

The proposed bill would ensure that sexual-abuse survivors and other people with information about such abuse could speak freely about it, he said.

Business Insider reported earlier this year that some of Epstein's accusers have signed confidential settlements with friends of Epstein whom they have also accused of misconduct, according to three people with direct knowledge of such settlements.

The settlements include NDAs, the people said.

One person told Business Insider they had direct knowledge of settlements with four of Epstein's friends who were accused of sexual misconduct by more than 20 women between them.