- Goldman Sachs general counsel Kathy Ruemmler will resign by June 30, 2026
- Her resignation follows revelations of emails linking her to Jeffrey Epstein
- Emails show Ruemmler maintained contact with Epstein from 2014 to 2019
Goldman Sachs' general counsel, Kathy Ruemmler, will resign this summer after the newly released Jeffrey Epstein files revealed her past interactions with the convicted sex offender.
Ruemmler, a former White House counsel to Barack Obama, told the Financial Times that she would step down as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Goldman Sachs as of June 30, 2026. She joined Goldman Sachs in 2020 as its top lawyer.
Ruemmler said the growing media coverage about her past work as a defence lawyer had begun affecting her current role. "I made the determination that the media attention on me, relating to my prior work as a defence attorney, was becoming a distraction," she said.
Her exit comes after the US Department of Justice's release of emails unveiled her close ties with Epstein years after his 2008 conviction. The documents revealed she was in touch with the disgraced financier between 2014 and 2019. While she has in recent statements described him as a "monster", her earlier emails showed her reportedly referring to him as "Uncle Jeffrey".
Before her resignation was announced, a spokesperson for Goldman Sachs said in a statement that Ruemmler regretted ever knowing him [Epstein]. Speaking about his criminal activities, she said, "I made decisions based on the information that was available to me. I have an enormous amount of sympathy and heartache for anyone who he hurt," she added.
Reports also state that Epstein even made several phone calls on the night of his arrest. The emails indicate that in 2019, Ruemmler also advised Epstein on how to respond to a media inquiry. "I was a defence attorney when I dealt with Jeffrey Epstein," she told Reuters.
A 2015 email in which Ruemmler wished Epstein on his 62nd birthday with the message, "I hope you enjoy the day with your one true love," and ending it with a smiley has also circulated, CNN reported.
In some of the other messages, Ruemmler discussed personal aspects of her life, expressed gratitude for their "friendship," and often signed off her notes with "xo" or "xoxo."
Another email from 2016 shows Epstein thanking Ruemmler for her "friendship and help". She replied, "Back at you, and always."
The recently made public documents also reveal that Ruemmler once asked about visiting Epstein's private island. While on a Caribbean vacation in January 2017, Ruemmler asked Epstein if she could make a "day trip" to the island.
According to The Guardian, Ruemmler received several expensive gifts after leaving the White House in 2014. These include Hermes bags, Apple products, fur coats, plane tickets and spa appointments. In one 2018 email, Ruemmler thanked him, writing, "So lovely and thoughtful! Thank you to Uncle Jeffrey!!!"
In another 2019 email, she wrote, "Am totally tricked out by Uncle Jeffrey today! Jeffrey boots, handbag, and watch!"
Exchanging gifts, especially the expensive ones, is generally discouraged on Wall Street as it can raise concerns about conflict or even bribery. At Goldman Sachs, employees are required to seek prior approval before giving or accepting gifts from clients.
Goldman chief executive David Solomon has stood by Ruemmler, calling her "an extraordinary lawyer" and saying she will be missed.
"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," he said.
