Kathryn Ruemmler, Goldman Sachs’ chief legal officer and former White House counsel under President Barack Obama, resigned Thursday after newly released Department of Justice documents revealed a more extensive relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein than she had previously acknowledged.
The Justice Department’s latest document release — part of a broader disclosure totaling more than 3 million pages related to Epstein — included communications that appear to contradict Ruemmler’s longstanding claim that her interactions with Epstein were strictly professional.
According to the documents, Ruemmler exchanged personal messages with Epstein, accepted gifts from him, discussed aspects of her romantic life, and advised him on navigating mounting media scrutiny related to allegations of sexual abuse. In one message to a colleague, Ruemmler referred to Epstein as “Uncle Jeffrey,” a phrase that drew significant public and media attention in recent weeks.
Epstein, a financier with connections to prominent political, business, and academic figures, died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide but has remained the subject of public controversy. The breadth of his social and professional network has fueled years of scrutiny, as documents, flight logs, and court filings have continued to reveal associations with influential individuals across party lines. (RELATED: Bill Gates Says He Regrets ‘Every Minute’ Spent With Jeffrey Epstein After New Document Release)
Ruemmler, who joined Goldman Sachs in 2020 after serving in the Obama administration, had previously maintained that her contact with Epstein was limited and professional in nature. The newly disclosed communications have intensified questions about the depth of those ties and the judgment of corporate leaders who interacted with Epstein after his 2008 conviction in Florida on charges related to procuring a minor for prostitution.
In a statement confirming her resignation, Ruemmler said, “My responsibility is to put Goldman Sachs’s interests first.”
Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said he accepted her resignation and respected her decision.
“[She] will be missed,” Solomon said in a statement.
The resignation adds to a long list of reputational consequences faced by prominent figures whose past associations with Epstein have come under renewed scrutiny as additional documents are released.
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