Billionaire Leon Black has filed a federal defamation lawsuit against California Rep. Robert Garcia over public comments the Democratic congressman made tying Black to the financier Jeffrey Epstein, ABC News reported.

The Guardian reported that Black is seeking $7.5 million in the lawsuit, and that Garcia is the top Democrat on the House oversight committee. The Guardian, in a report by Anna Betts, said Black accuses the lawmaker of making "false statements about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein."

According to ABC News, the case concerns comments Garcia made publicly about Black's connection to Epstein. The ABC News summary does not describe the specific remarks or say what amount, if any, is sought. The Guardian's summary also does not describe the specific remarks, and the $7.5 million figure appears in its headline.

Defamation claims generally center on whether a statement is false and whether it harmed the person it concerns. According to The Guardian, Black's complaint rests on his contention that Garcia's statements about his ties to Epstein were untrue. Neither summary explains the evidence Black cites or how the court will treat the claims.

Neither outlet's summary reports a response from Garcia. The two accounts agree on the core facts: Black has sued Garcia in federal court over remarks that connected him to Epstein. Beyond that, the available summaries do not indicate whether the court has taken any action in the case.

Sources: ABC News: Billionaire Leon Black sues Rep. Robert Garcia for defamation over Epstein comments; The Guardian: Leon Black sues US congressman Robert Garcia for $7.5m over Epstein comments.