Attorney and journalist Katie Phang sharply criticized billionaire Leon Black after the Jeffrey Epstein associate chose to sue Congress rather than appear for further testimony.

On Thursday, Black, the co-founder and former chief executive of private equity firm Apollo Global Management, filed a 28-page complaint in federal court in Washington, D.C., just hours before he was scheduled to return to the House Oversight Committee for what Phang described as a "continuation of his questioning."

Speaking on a Thursday episode of her podcast, Phang said the "billionaire buddy of Jeffrey Epstein" was supposed to "roll up today," but instead went to court in an effort to block two subpoenas that House Oversight Chair James Comer served on him in June.

Those subpoenas came after Black's June appearance before the committee, when, according to Phang, he "walked out maybe an hour into his voluntary transcribed interview" after "stonewalling and refusing to answer questions" about non-disclosure agreements.

Phang argued that Black's failure to appear was damaging regardless of how the legal dispute is ultimately resolved.

"The failure for Leon Black to appear today is a huge problem for him," Phang said. "Putting aside the legalities of it, the optics are horrific."

She added that Black "just furthers the public's belief that he is trying to hide from the people his involvement with not only Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, but also others."

In the lawsuit filed against Congress, Black asked the court to declare the subpoenas invalid, according to Phang. Black argued that the subpoenas "exceed House oversight's delegated authority" and seek "private information that bears no legitimate connection to its legislative purpose," Phang explained.

"Congress pursuing Mr. Black for purely political gain is not a legitimate end of congressional investigations," the complaint argued, according to Phang.

Rep. Robert Garcia, the lead Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, called for immediate consequences, Phang noted.

"By refusing to testify today, Leon Black is now defying two congressional subpoenas," Garcia said, per Phang. "Black gave Jeffrey Epstein over $180 million over six years. He funded Epstein's abuse and trafficking of women."

Phang, who is herself suing Attorney General Todd Blanche for the release of more unredacted Epstein files, made clear where she stood on Black's legal maneuver.

"It's nice, huh? To have money and to have high-powered, expensive lawyers to run to federal court to be able to do this for you," Phang said. "Must be nice, huh?"

She concluded with a direct demand: "Stop the insanity, Leon Black."