Ex-Goldman Sachs lawyer told panel that Epstein made her firm ‘millions’ of dollars

Former Goldman Sachs Legal Chief Details Epstein Ties in Congressional Testimony

Cyberzenhub.com – Kathy Ruemmler, who previously served as White House counsel and later became Goldman Sachs’ chief legal officer, provided detailed testimony to the House Oversight Committee regarding her professional relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. According to a transcript made public on Wednesday, Ruemmler revealed that referrals from the convicted sex offender generated single-digit millions in revenue for her law firm. This disclosure adds to growing congressional scrutiny over how Epstein leveraged connections with influential figures to benefit his professional network.

Professional Relationship and Business Benefits

Although Ruemmler never formally represented Epstein in a legal capacity, she regularly offered him guidance on both legal matters and public relations throughout their association. Her appearance before the committee on July 15 occurred during a closed-door session examining how government agencies managed investigations into Epstein’s activities. She characterized their interactions as primarily professional in nature, noting that Epstein sought her counsel periodically, much like many other clients do.

Importantly, Ruemmler acknowledged that Epstein played a meaningful role in advancing her career. He helped secure her work with French banker Ariane de Rothschild and facilitated a connection between another attorney at her firm and a client involved in a criminal proceeding. These referrals contributed significantly to the financial benefits her firm received from the relationship.

Continued Association Despite Criminal History

Ruemmler testified that she was aware of Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea for solicitation of a minor for prostitution, yet she maintained her professional relationship with him. She explained that Epstein expressed genuine remorse, embarrassment, and regret for his past behavior, which influenced her decision to continue working with him. According to the transcript, she stated: “I did not see any evidence of ongoing criminal conduct or misconduct of any kind by Mr. Epstein during the time I dealt with him.”

She further emphasized her commitment to accountability, noting: “Second, if I had seen or heard any evidence suggesting that he was abusing women or girls, I would have immediately reported him to law enforcement.”

Timeline of Interactions and Arrest

Summarizing the scope of their relationship, Ruemmler told lawmakers that she met with Epstein approximately twenty times between 2014 and 2019. Her final conversation with him occurred shortly after his July 2019 arrest. She described the exchange as brief, lasting less than a minute, during which Epstein simply informed her of his arrest. Her response was straightforward: “You obviously need to call your lawyer.”

Ruemmler also attended Epstein’s subsequent criminal arraignment in Manhattan, driven by her shock at the arrest and her desire to personally update de Rothschild about developments. She explained that she had developed a personal relationship with the French banker and felt that being present in the courtroom was the best way to understand what was happening.

Personal Dynamics and Email Correspondence

Lawmakers questioned Ruemmler about her casual and friendly email exchanges with Epstein, in which she used terms like “Uncle Jeffrey” and compared him to a brother. She characterized Epstein as “extremely arrogant,” “a mansplainer,” “pushy,” and “avuncular.” She explained that her use of “Uncle Jeffrey” was somewhat teasing, intended to gently call out his patronizing mannerisms.

When asked about emails in which she appeared to joke about Epstein’s crimes—including references to “Jeffrey’s type of massage”—Ruemmler acknowledged that those messages could seem insensitive in retrospect. She told the committee: “I understand why, you know, sitting here in 2026, the emails can come across as if there is callousness to victims. That’s not what I intended at the time. It wasn’t my state of mind at the time.”

Ruemmler also addressed an email in which she wrote “victim’s rights, my ass,” explaining that her tone reflected her perspective at that moment rather than indifference toward victims. She further acknowledged communicating with Epstein in 2015 about what she described as “very extreme” matters, though the transcript cuts off before elaborating on the full context.

A Rothschild bank spokesperson previously told Reuters that de Rothschild maintained a business relationship with Epstein from 2013 to 2019, had no knowledge of his misconduct, and “unequivocally condemns his behavior and the crimes which he committed.”