Kathryn Ruemmler, who served as White House counsel under President Barack Obama and most recently as general counsel for Goldman Sachs, is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday. Her testimony is part of the committee's ongoing bipartisan investigation into the network of individuals connected to the late Jeffrey Epstein.
Lawmakers are examining how Epstein's wealth and influence may have aided him in avoiding scrutiny. The inquiry has already included testimony from over a dozen prominent figures. Thousands of documents released by the Justice Department revealed an extensive relationship between Ruemmler and Epstein, including personal emails, social plans, and gifts that extended beyond legal matters.
Ruemmler, who served as White House counsel from 2011 to 2014, was briefly considered for attorney general. She announced in February that she would step down as Goldman Sachs' general counsel amid scrutiny over her correspondence with Epstein, though she remains employed by the firm. The documents indicated that their relationship continued years after Epstein's 2008 conviction for sex crimes. While Ruemmler has described Epstein as a "monster," emails show she referred to him as "Uncle Jeffrey" and expressed affection.
Ruemmler is the 17th individual to testify as part of the committee's investigation. The committee has also subpoenaed billionaire investor Leon Black and expressed interest in questioning acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who has been identified as the Justice Department's point person on the release of Epstein-related documents.