Former White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler faced bipartisan questioning from the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday regarding her extensive relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Ruemmler, who recently resigned as Goldman Sachs' top lawyer due to scrutiny over her Epstein ties, appeared for a closed-door interview as part of the committee's investigation into Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers expressed skepticism about her claims that her relationship with Epstein was limited, with some arguing she should have been interviewed under oath.
"She was desperately trying to distance herself from Epstein, but the reality is, we have the emails," Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., told Fox News Digital. "It's very clear that she had a pretty friendly relationship with him."
According to Subramanyam, even when presented with emails, Ruemmler stated she had shown poor judgment or that her jokes about Epstein's massages were in poor taste. She also admitted to knowing about the massages but claimed she did not know they involved underage girls.
"She knew that this wasn't a man of good character, certainly, and someone who is a sex offender and registered as such," Subramanyam added. "But she saw dollar signs, and she decided that she would overlook all that because he was rich and powerful."
Emails released by the Justice Department indicated that Ruemmler met with Epstein multiple times and exchanged emails and gifts years after his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor. Their professional connection began in 2014 when Ruemmler was a partner at Latham & Watkins, and their relationship continued until 2019, the year Epstein died by suicide while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., described Ruemmler's relationship with Epstein as "very concerning." He stated that communications between them showed her attempting to rehabilitate Epstein's image after his conviction, suggesting she was "very close with Epstein."
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, also questioned the veracity of Ruemmler's testimony. "I think it is difficult to see how she's being completely truthful in there with the answer that she's giving the committee," Garcia said.
Garcia continued, "She made the decision to have an ongoing personal friendship and relationship with someone that had been accused and convicted of sexual assault with a minor, and she has no explanation as to why she chose to continue that relationship."
Ruemmler has consistently denied any wrongdoing and stated she was unaware of any criminal conduct by Epstein during their period of contact. Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., was also present during the questioning.