Judge Clarke sanctions Jane Doe and former lawyer but lets Leon Black lawsuit proceed
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 6
Judge Clarke sanctions Jane Doe and former lawyer but lets Leon Black lawsuit proceed
7 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 6
In a 76-page April 23 order in New York, Clarke said Doe falsified three sonograms and former lawyer Jeanne Christensen repeatedly lied and directed destruction of a social media account.
The ruling followed a Guardian investigation into private 2024 approaches by Black's lawyers to Judge Jed Rakoff, which helped trigger a sealed inquiry that reversed Doe's earlier $2.5m Epstein-settlement award.
Doe later received a $200,000 settlement in that class action, while Black, who denies raping or meeting her, is due to testify before the House oversight committee in June.
How did a billionaire's secret legal campaign convince a judge to reverse a victim's $2.5 million award?
Why can a lawsuit proceed when the accuser falsified evidence and her lawyer repeatedly lied to the court?
What services did Jeffrey Epstein provide a billionaire that were worth $170 million and thirty times the normal rate?
Sanctions Against Wigdor LLP for Fabricated Evidence in Leon Black Sexual Assault Lawsuit
Overview
In April 2026, Judge Jessica Clarke sanctioned Wigdor LLP and attorney Jeanne Christensen for presenting fabricated sonogram evidence and for the plaintiff's deletion of social media accounts in the sexual assault lawsuit against Leon Black. The court barred the falsified evidence, ordered the firm to pay Black's attorneys' fees related to the sanctions, and mandated disclosures of the misconduct to other federal courts. Despite these serious violations damaging the plaintiff's credibility, the judge allowed the core sexual assault claim to proceed to trial. The defense can present evidence about the social media deletion, and the jury will be instructed to consider the misconduct when evaluating credibility. Meanwhile, Black faces a March deposition and a May congressional testimony about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, keeping the case under intense legal and political scrutiny.