Kathy Ruemmler, formerly the top lawyer at Goldman Sachs and White House counsel under President Barack Obama, told House investigators Wednesday that she never saw evidence of criminal conduct by Jeffrey Epstein during their interactions. Ruemmler appeared before the House Oversight Committee as part of its ongoing probe into the government's handling of investigations into the convicted sex offender.
Ruemmler described Epstein as a "masterful liar" who used her and others to legitimize himself, according to her prepared remarks reviewed by ABC News. She expressed regret over her association with Epstein, stating, "If I knew then what I know now about who Epstein really was, I never would have accepted an initial meeting with him. It was a mistake to deal with him, and I regret it."
She told the committee that she was aware of Epstein's 2008 guilty plea to prostitution-related charges but believed it was a "proportionate and final resolution." Ruemmler added that the association of high-profile individuals with Epstein led her to believe he was no longer engaging in criminal conduct. She stated she was "shocked" by the 2019 indictment, which alleged horrific acts that occurred years before she met him.
Despite Ruemmler's assertions, Ranking Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia expressed doubt about her candor. Garcia suggested Ruemmler was unwilling to accept responsibility for her relationship with Epstein, noting that she continued to communicate with him and exchanged emails that indicated a friendly relationship, including joking about massages. "For her to continue to engage in these kind of playful activities with Jeffrey Epstein, and then for her to deny when we can all read the emails in the files about her making jokes about massaging ... it just, I don't buy that, and I don't think we buy that," Garcia told reporters.
Ruemmler's relationship with Epstein drew renewed scrutiny following the Department of Justice's release of Epstein's files, which contained numerous emails exchanged between them from 2014 to 2019. In these emails, Ruemmler thanked Epstein for gifts, sought career advice, and made critical remarks about lawyers representing Epstein's victims.
Amid this scrutiny, Ruemmler announced plans to step down as Goldman Sachs' chief legal officer and general counsel. A spokesperson for the bank stated at the time that she "regrets ever knowing" Epstein. Ruemmler has agreed to continue advising Goldman Sachs on its search for a new general counsel, according to a recent interview with CEO David Solomon, who described her departure as being due to "the noise."