Kathy Ruemmler and Epstein: Inside the Goldman Sachs lawyer’s ties to the convicted sex offender
Kathy Ruemmler and Epstein: Inside the Goldman Sachs lawyer’s ties to the convicted sex offender

Kathryn Ruemmler has spent most of her career at the intersection of power, law, and reputation management.

A former federal prosecutor and one of Barack Obama’s closest legal advisers, she rose to become Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel at Goldman Sachs — a job that makes her one of the most influential gatekeepers on Wall Street.

That reputation is now under intense scrutiny after newly released U.S. Justice Department documents — widely dubbed the “Epstein files” — surfaced email traffic and other records connecting Ruemmler to Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and registered sex offender who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

Read more: Epstein Files Fallout in Europe: Resignations, Royal Apologies, Suspensions, and Investigations

Who is Kathryn Ruemmler?

Ruemmler, 54, built her name as a hard-charging prosecutor and white-collar defense star. Goldman’s own biography highlights her service as Obama’s longest-serving White House Counsel, plus earlier roles including Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., and leadership work tied to the Justice Department’s Enron Task Force.

After leaving the White House in 2014, she returned to private practice at Latham & Watkins, leading high-stakes corporate investigations and crisis matters — the kind of work where elite lawyers often brush up against controversial clients and fixers.

Goldman hired her in 2020, and she later became Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel, serving on the firm’s Management Committee and chairing internal conduct and reputational-risk bodies.

Read more: Who Is Jack Lang, and Why His Name Appears Hundreds of Times in the Epstein Files

What the “Epstein files” revealed

According to Reuters and the Associated Press, DOJ-released emails show Ruemmler maintained friendly communications with Epstein from 2014 to 2019 — well after his 2008 Florida conviction for soliciting a minor and his status as a registered sex offender.

The correspondence includes:

• Terms of endearment and familiarity, including references to Epstein as “Uncle Jeffrey,” and messages that framed him like family.

• Expensive gifts, including a Hermès handbag priced at $9,350, plus other luxury items and services described in the emails.

• Legal and PR advice: Reuters reported that documents showed she advised Epstein on how to respond to a media inquiry in 2019 about his crimes and his alleged preferential treatment.

• A notable contact point: DOJ records cited by Reuters also indicate Epstein called Ruemmler’s cellphone around the time of his July 2019 arrest.

Ruemmler, through a spokesperson, has said she was never Epstein’s lawyer and that her interactions were professional, tied to her defense work and industry circles.

Read more: Mette-Marit and Jeffrey Epstein: What the Link Was

Why it became a Goldman Sachs problem

Even if the emails don’t prove illegal conduct by Ruemmler, the optics are toxic for a bank that sells trust — especially because her role at Goldman includes oversight of conduct and reputational risk.

On February 12, 2026, Ruemmler announced she would step down, with her resignation effective June 30, 2026. Goldman CEO David Solomon accepted the resignation and praised her work, while Ruemmler said the attention had become a distraction.

The episode is the latest reminder that Epstein’s network continues to generate consequences years after his death — and that, on Wall Street, reputational risk can end careers even without a courtroom verdict.