Goldman Sachs Top Lawyer Resigns After Named in Epstein Files

Kathryn Ruemmler, Goldman Sachs’ chief legal officer and former White House counsel to President Barack Obama, announced her resignation effective June 30, 2026, after email correspondence between her and Jeffrey Epstein surfaced in the Department of Justice’s files release, according to multiple reports.¹²

In a statement, Ruemmler said she “made the determination that the media attention on me, relating to my prior work as a defence attorney, was becoming a distraction.”² Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said he accepted her resignation and respected her decision. As recently as December 2025, Solomon had described Ruemmler as an “excellent lawyer” with his full faith and backing.²

Ruemmler also served as co-chair of Goldman’s reputational risk committee, a role that added significance to her departure.¹

Emails and Gifts in the Files

The released files include dozens of friendly email exchanges between Ruemmler and Epstein spanning several years, including correspondence that continued after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor.² In one email, Ruemmler referred to Epstein as “Uncle Jeffrey” while thanking him for a gift.¹² In another exchange, she wrote of Epstein: “It’s like having another older brother!“²

During her time in private practice after leaving the White House in 2014, Ruemmler received several expensive gifts from Epstein, including a Hermes bag, a Fendi purse, a fur coat, spa visits, Bergdorf Goodman gift cards and flowers.² These gifts came after Epstein had already been convicted and registered as a sex offender.²

Ruemmler was also listed at one point as a backup executor on Epstein’s will, although she never served in that role.²

The July 2019 Phone Call

The Wall Street Journal reported that Ruemmler was one of three people Epstein called on July 6, 2019, after being arrested by federal authorities on child sex trafficking charges at a New Jersey airport.² That report cites handwritten notes by law enforcement about comments Epstein made inside an FBI vehicle after his arrest, which were among documents released by the DOJ in late January 2026.²

A separate email from March 2019 — four months before the arrest — shows Ruemmler offering Epstein advice on how to respond to criticism that he had received special treatment and a lenient punishment in 2008 because of his wealth and political connections.²

Context

Ruemmler is among several high-profile figures to lose positions following the DOJ’s January 30, 2026 release of 3 million pages under the Epstein Transparency Act. Other prominent departures include DP World chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem and Hyatt billionaire Thomas Pritzker. Brad Karp, chairman of the law firm Paul Weiss, also stepped back from his position on Feb. 4 after his own extensive email exchanges with Epstein were revealed.²

References

1. Axios: Epstein Files Goldman Sachs Lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler Resigns
2. CNBC: Epstein files — Goldman Sachs top lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler to step down after email fallout