Kathryn Ruemmler, who served as White House counsel under President Barack Obama and was the former top lawyer at Goldman Sachs, testified before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday regarding her relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Lawmakers questioned Ruemmler about her dealings with Epstein between 2014 and 2019, including luxury gifts he sent her, advice she offered him on media scrutiny, and a phone call he made to her after his July 2019 arrest on federal child sex trafficking charges. The inquiry is part of a bipartisan investigation by the House Oversight Committee into the network of powerful people connected with Epstein.
In her opening statement, Ruemmler claimed that Epstein was a "masterful liar" who unequivocally lied to her and used his relationships with "respectable people" to bolster his standing. She asserted that she never saw evidence of ongoing criminal conduct and would have reported him if she had. Ruemmler stated she met Epstein in 2014 while working as a white-collar defense lawyer at Latham & Watkins, clarifying that she never represented him directly but shared a client with him. She expressed regret for knowing him, calling her decision to deal with him a "mistake.
Thousands of documents released by the Justice Department and Congress revealed an extensive relationship between Ruemmler and Epstein, including personal emails, social plans, and gifts that went beyond professional legal work. These documents also showed her suggesting language he could use to rebut criticism of his 2008 lenient plea deal and receiving a call from him on the day of his 2019 arrest. Following renewed scrutiny over her emails with Epstein, Ruemmler stepped down as Goldman Sachs' chief legal officer at the end of June, though she remains in an advisory role with the bank. Goldman CEO David Solomon has defended this, citing her value to the firm. Ruemmler has not been accused of participating in Epstein's crimes.
Her voluntary, transcribed interview is part of the committee's broader examination of Epstein's crimes, the government's handling of his cases, and how he and Ghislaine Maxwell cultivated influence among powerful figures. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi emphasized the need for Congress to use Ruemmler's testimony to understand how Epstein maintained his wealth, power, and sex trafficking operations. Rep. Ro Khanna plans to question Ruemmler about her knowledge of individuals connected to Epstein's crimes, highlighting the ongoing effort to understand the full scope of Epstein's network.
