Leon Black/MoMA/Epstein

 MoMA thinks we'll stay quiet. Chip in to prove them wrong.

• Nicole Regalado, UltraViolet Action 

  weareultraviolet.org

  From:info@weareultraviolet.org

  
  

  To:Mr Mark M Giese

  Sun, Oct 4 at 12:05 PM

  

  Hi Mark,

  Two weeks ago, the entire U.S. House of Representatives voted to hold billionaire and Jeffrey Epstein enabler Leon Black in contempt of Congress. The vote was unanimous, with every Republican and every Democrat in favor.¹

  Black had refused to comply with subpoenas from House investigators by refusing to answer questions about his ties to Epstein—specifically about the nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) Black had made with women over the years who accused him of sexual abuse.²

  Black is a billionaire whose money, influence and power have protected him from accountability for decades. But that era is over. Thanks to the activism of people like you, Leon Black has stepped down from plum positions of power over his disgusting behavior and close ties to Epstein’s crime ring, but there is still one world-class institution giving him cover: The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.³

  Institutions like MoMA are prestigious and extremely influential. As former chair and current member of the museum’s board of trustees, Black shapes what art we celebrate, and what parts of the human experience deserve our attention and respect. That needs to stop now.

  A credibly accused sexual predator and Epstein-enabler has no business shaping our culture in any way! That's why UltraViolet is taking this fight to MoMA's doorstep in just a couple of days, and we need support from members like you to pull off our ambitious plan.

  DONATE

  Our goal is to draw as much media attention as possible to MoMA's ongoing role in sanitizing the reputation of one of Epstein's largest financial backers and accused co-abusers. If we succeed at raising the alarm, pressure will build on MoMA and on other powerful institutions to stop giving the Epstein class the power, influence, and prestige to evade accountability.

  Here's what MoMA is choosing to ignore:

  • Black paid Epstein about $170 million between 2012 and 2017. Those payments came years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting sex from a minor and became a registered sex offender. Black says the money was for tax and estate advice, but Epstein was not a licensed tax attorney, accountant, or investment adviser.⁴
  • Multiple women have accused Black of rape and sexual abuse. One woman alleges that Epstein trafficked her to Black when she was just 16. Black denies all of the allegations.^5,6
  • Black is suspected of paying the U.S. Virgin Islands $62.5 million to settle claims connected to Epstein's sex-trafficking network.⁷

  In 2021, more than 150 artists demanded that MoMA cut ties with him. Black gave up the board chairmanship, but he never left the board of trustees. Since then, MoMA has said nothing and done nothing.⁸

  Congress has done its part, and the Justice Department is weighing a criminal referral. Now it's MoMA's turn to answer one question: Why is Leon Black still on the board? Chip in $10 now to help us ask this question at their front door next week.

  This is how power protects itself. Women who come forward against wealthy men face years of litigation, NDAs designed to keep them quiet, and cases thrown out on technicalities. One of Black's accusers had her lawsuit dismissed because of an NDA, without any ruling on whether the abuse happened.⁹ Meanwhile, the man they accuse keeps his seat at the table, helping decide which artists get celebrated and whose stories are told to the millions of visitors and schoolchildren who walk through MoMA's doors. This is beyond unacceptable.

  MoMA's board includes some of the richest people on the planet. We can take them on because UltraViolet doesn't accept a dime of corporate money. We're funded by members like you, so no billionaire can call us and demand we back off.

  Our action is days away. Chip in $10 to help us make sure MoMA, the press, and the public can't look away. Your donation will fund this action and our ongoing accountability campaigns.

  Thanks for standing with survivors,

  --Nicole and the UltraViolet Action team

   

  Sources:

  1. House votes to hold Leon Black in contempt of Congress over Epstein subpoenas defiance, CNBC, October 2, 2026

  2. Ibid.

  3. Billionaire Leon Black is leaving Apollo following scrutiny over ties to Jeffrey Epstein, CNN,  March 22, 2021

  4. How Epstein Helped Solve a Billionaire’s Problems With Women, The New York Times, March 23, 2026

  5. Billionaire Leon Black is accused in lawsuit of raping autistic girl, Reuters, July 25, 2023

  6. Financier Leon Black accused in lawsuit of raping woman in Jeffrey Epstein’s New York mansion, NBC, November 28, 2022

  7. How Epstein Helped Solve a Billionaire’s Problems With Women, The New York Times, March 23, 2026

  8. When Will MoMA Dump Leon Black?, Hyperallergic, February 5, 2026

  9. Apollo co-founder Leon Black wins dismissal of rape accuser's lawsuit, Reuters, May 24, 2023