Prominent Goldman Sachs attorney Kathryn Ruemmler announced on Thursday evening that she will depart from the investment bank at the close of June, a determination made following a wave of news pieces spotlighting documents revealing the former White House counsel’s frequently friendly email exchanges with the infamous sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Goldman has stood by Ruemmler for months after Congress and the Department of Justice released communications between her and Epstein, alongside other documents related to his investigations.
Ruemmler, who has been a vital advisor to Goldman CEO David Solomon since her entry to the bank in 2020, conveyed to The Financial Times on Thursday, “I concluded that the media focus on me, regarding my previous role as a defense attorney, was turning into a distraction.”
The FT was the first to disclose the 54-year-old’s choice to exit Goldman.
“Since my commencement at Goldman Sachs six years ago, it has been an honor to help manage the firm’s legal, reputational, and regulatory issues; to strengthen our solid risk management practices; and to ensure that we adhere to our fundamental value of integrity in all our endeavors,” Ruemmler stated in a communication to CNBC.
“My duty is to prioritize Goldman Sachs’ interests,” Ruemmler expressed.
“Earlier today, I regretfully informed David Solomon of my plan to resign as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Goldman Sachs effective June 30, 2026.”
Solomon, in a statement, remarked, “Throughout her time with us, Kathy has proved to be an exceptional general counsel, and we appreciate her insights and wise counsel on a vast array of important legal matters for the firm.”
“As one of the most skilled professionals in her domain, Kathy has also served as a mentor and friend to numerous individuals within our organization, and her absence will be felt. I have accepted her resignation and respect her choice,” Solomon noted.
Her announcement of her departure from Goldman follows closely on the heels of a report from The Wall Street Journal, which indicated that Ruemmler was one of three individuals Epstein contacted on July 6, 2019, after being arrested by federal agents on charges of child sex trafficking at a New Jersey airport.
The Journal’s reporting references a handwritten set of notes by law enforcement about remarks Epstein made inside an FBI vehicle following his arrest.
These notes are part of the documents released in late January by the Department of Justice, which CNBC has verified.
Additional articles revealed emails and records that demonstrated how Epstein had given Ruemmler gifts including a Hermes bag, as well as other luxury items such as a Fendi purse, spa visits, Bergdorf Goodman gift cards and flowers. On one occasion, she lavishly thanked him, referring to him as “Uncle Jeffrey,” as per one email.
Ruemmler was part of the white-collar criminal defense team at the firm Latham & Watkins during the period she was in contact with Epstein, whom she first encountered in 2014.
An email from Aug. 14, 2014, found in the DOJ’s Epstein files, reveals how he solicited her representation for his client, Bank Edmond de Rothschild.
“They have a justice department issue … similar to every other Swiss bank,” Epstein communicated to her.
Ruemmler accepted the bank as a client while at Latham.
Ruemmler has stated that she never represented Epstein, who took his own life in a New York federal facility weeks after his 2019 arrest.
Ruemmler’s representative, Jennifer Connelly, informed the Journal for its article last Friday, “These documents align with what Ms. Ruemmler has consistently stated: She knew Epstein while functioning as a criminal defense attorney and shared a client with him.”
“She maintained a friendly relationship with him in that context. She had no awareness of any ongoing criminal behavior on his part,” Connelly stated.
Ruemmler previously held the position of White House counsel under former President Barack Obama.
She is the most recent figure to lose a prominent role due to her previous ties with Epstein.
On Sunday, Morgan Sweeney stepped down as chief of staff to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, taking responsibility for advising Starmer to appoint Peter Mandelson as the UK ambassador to the United States. Starmer dismissed Mandelson from that role in September due to revelations about his link to Epstein.
Last week, Brad Karp, chairman of the prestigious corporate law firm Paul Weiss, resigned from that position following the backlash from emails exchanged between him and Epstein. Karp will remain with the firm.
“In light of the Epstein emails, a spokesperson for Paul Weiss commented, “Mr. Karp never observed or engaged in any wrongdoing. Mr. Karp attended two group dinners in New York City and had a limited number of social email interactions, all of which he regrets.”
Karp indicated he was resigning from the chairmanship due to the distraction created by the media coverage.
In November, after a congressional committee unveiled emails exchanged between Ruemmler and Epstein, Goldman Sachs representative Tony Fratto stated to CNBC, “These emails were private communications made long before Kathy Ruemmler joined Goldman Sachs.”
“Kathy is an outstanding general counsel, and we benefit from her judgment every day,” Fratto remarked at the time.
Ruemmler has previously stated to the Journal that she regrets ever associating with Epstein.
Among the latest batch of emails released by the DOJ in late January is one where Ruemmler reached out to Epstein in March 2019, four months prior to his arrest.
In that email, she provided guidance on how to counter the backlash he had previously faced for allegedly receiving preferential treatment and a lenient sentence in 2008, attributed to his wealth and political connections when he avoided federal prosecution in exchange for admitting guilt in Florida state court for soliciting prostitution from an underage girl.
At that time, Epstein sought Ruemmler’s advice as he was featured in a series of articles in the Miami Herald that were critical of the decision made by federal prosecutors not to charge him back in 2008. Epstein ultimately served only 13 months in a Florida state prison but was permitted to leave to attend his office during much of that duration.
The email thread’s subject line, “From wapo,” implies that Epstein was reaching out to Ruemmler in response to an inquiry made by The Washington Post regarding him.
In her email, Ruemmler commented: “Something akin to: … ‘The criticism is misguided and reflects a fundamental [misunderstanding] of both the factual bases of Mr. Epstein’s case and how it was [handled] by both local and federal authorities.”
“Far from [receiving] a sweetheart deal, Mr. Epstein was subject to a prolonged, vigorous, [and] highly unusual federal inquiry for what were, fundamentally, local [offenses] of sexual solicitation,” Ruemmler articulated. “He acknowledged responsibility, served [time and] imprisonment, and offered substantial financial settlements to the victims [involved].”
Ruemmler, within a bracketed area, proceeded to suggest saying something like, “But for his wealth, it is difficult to conceive that Mr. Epstein … would have undergone the rigorous treatment that he did from [federal] prosecutors, and he certainly would not have faced the [salacious] and malign treatment by the media that he continues to endure more than 10 years following the resolution of the case.”
