Goldman Sachs General Counsel to Exit Amid Epstein Email Controversy

The top lawyer at Goldman Sachs, Kathy Ruemmler, said on Thursday that she will leave the Wall Street firm following controversy surrounding her email exchanges with convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, recently disclosed by the US Department of Justice.

 

In an interview with Financial Times, Ruemmler said the intense media focus linked to her previous work as a defence attorney had become “a distraction”.

 

A close adviser to Goldman Sachs chief executive David Solomon, Ruemmler had faced weeks of scrutiny after the Justice Department released millions of pages of Epstein-related files.

 

“Throughout her tenure, Kathy has been an extraordinary general counsel, and we are grateful for her contributions and sound advice on a wide range of consequential legal matters for the firm,” Solomon said in a statement. He added that he respected her decision to resign.

 

Ruemmler previously served as White House counsel during the administration of former US president Barack Obama.

 

Emails disclosed in the files show Ruemmler exchanged dozens of friendly messages with Epstein over several years, including after his conviction. In one 2015 exchange, Epstein sought legal advice. In another message, Ruemmler wrote: “Well, I adore him. It’s like having another older brother!”

 

Additional emails from 2016 referenced an Hermès bag for Ruemmler, while others showed her referring to Epstein in familiar terms. She was also at one stage listed as a backup executor in Epstein’s will, though she never served in that role and her name was removed before his death.

 

Ruemmler has maintained that her interactions with Epstein occurred solely in her capacity as a criminal defence attorney and has said she regrets ever knowing him. A spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal that the documents were consistent with her repeated explanation that she shared a client with Epstein.

 

The Journal reported that after Epstein’s 2019 arrest, Ruemmler was among the first people he contacted.

 

Despite the controversy, Goldman Sachs said Ruemmler had disclosed her prior dealings with Epstein when she joined the firm in 2020, and the bank continued to back her during the scrutiny.

 

Her departure is the latest in a string of high-profile exits linked to the Epstein files. On February 4, Brad Karp stepped back as chairman of Paul Weiss after similar revelations.

 

Separately, Morgan McSweeney, chief of staff to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, resigned amid fallout tied to his recommendation of Peter Mandelson as the UK ambassador to the United States. Mandelson had previously faced his own Epstein-related scrutiny.

 

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