Former White House counsel Kathy Ruemmler told the House Oversight Committee that referrals by Jeffrey Epstein generated "single-digit millions" of dollars for her law firm. Ruemmler, who never formally represented Epstein but offered him legal and public relations advice, testified in a closed-door session as part of the panel's ongoing probe into the government's handling of investigations into Epstein.
According to a transcript released Wednesday, Ruemmler stated that Epstein sought her legal advice periodically and that he facilitated work for her firm, including connecting another attorney with a client in a criminal case and securing work with French banker Ariane de Rothschild. Ruemmler, who later served as Goldman Sachs' top lawyer, acknowledged awareness of Epstein's 2008 guilty plea for solicitation of a minor but said she continued working with him because he expressed remorse.
Ruemmler stated she did not witness any evidence of ongoing criminal conduct by Epstein during their association. She added that if she had, she would have reported it to law enforcement. Ruemmler met with Epstein approximately 20 times between 2014 and 2019, with her final conversation occurring after his July 2019 arrest. She advised him to contact his lawyer upon learning of the arrest.
She also attended Epstein's subsequent arraignment in Manhattan to update Ariane de Rothschild, with whom she had developed a personal relationship. A Rothschild bank spokesperson previously stated de Rothschild was a business acquaintance of Epstein from 2013 to 2019 and condemned his behavior.
Lawmakers questioned Ruemmler about friendly emails with Epstein, where she used terms like "Uncle Jeffrey." Ruemmler described Epstein as arrogant, pushy, and avuncular, explaining her nickname for him was a teasing way to address his patronizing demeanor. She conceded that some emails, including one referencing "Jeffrey's type of massage" and another containing the phrase "victim's rights, my ass," might appear insensitive in retrospect but were not intended that way.
Ruemmler also addressed communications concerning "very extreme allegations" raised by Virginia Giuffre regarding abuse and trafficking. Ruemmler testified that, in her opinion, Giuffre's allegations lacked the expected "indicia of credibility" based on her experience as a prosecutor and defense counsel.
Family members of Giuffre, who died by suicide last year, issued a statement asserting that Ruemmler should be ashamed for attempting to cast doubt on Giuffre and that Ruemmler herself lacks credibility for appearing to not know Epstein was engaged in sex trafficking.
Towards the end of her testimony, Ruemmler criticized the committee's scrutiny of her associations, arguing that individuals should be held accountable for their conduct, not their connections. She also suggested hypocrisy among some lawmakers by referencing their public endorsement of a candidate credibly accused of sexual assault, stating that applying a standard based on mere association with someone accused or convicted of criminal conduct is a dangerous precedent.