Goldman Sachs Faces Legal Fallout from Top Lawyer’s Epstein Ties

When Kathryn Ruemmler, a prominent Washington attorney with a prestigious background, joined Goldman Sachs in 2020, she informed senior executives about a link that wasn’t listed on her LinkedIn profile: Jeffrey Epstein. However, it’s the information about her relationship with the infamous sex offender—details that have come to light through documents released from Epstein’s estate—that is now casting a shadow over Ruemmler and the bank.

Ruemmler informed Goldman’s executives during her hiring that she had business connections with Epstein while working as a white-collar defense lawyer at Latham & Watkins. Later, it was revealed that she met with Epstein multiple times and had friendly email exchanges over many years.

It was revealed that she was present in the courtroom during Epstein’s arraignment following his arrest on sex trafficking charges in 2019. At that time, Epstein had named her as one of the executors in his will, as of January 18, 2019. However, he removed her name from the will before his death on August 10, 2019, while he was incarcerated awaiting trial.

The level of their connection has attracted attention within Goldman Sachs, where the 54-year-old legal expert serves as general counsel and a key advisor to CEO David Solomon.

John Rogers, a prominent Goldman Sachs executive who recruited Ruemmler into the bank, recently shared with some trusted colleagues that he is developing a backup strategy in which she would depart by the end of this year, according to individuals who are aware of the situation. The intention would be to ensure Ruemmler’s exit is as dignified as possible, separating it from the Epstein-related disclosures.

In a statement, Rogers remarked, “That is entirely false.”

Solomon has had no part in the plan, according to one individual who is aware of the situation.

Kathy is a top-tier general counsel, and we gain valuable insights from her daily,” Solomon stated. “Kathy has consistently received backing from the entire leadership team and the Board, and she is highly regarded and respected throughout the company.

In a statement, Ruemmler told the Journal that she had a professional relationship with Epstein when “it was part of my role to interact with individuals and companies facing significant legal and public relations issues. Several were under criminal investigation, and many had been found guilty of offenses.”

She stated that she did not act on behalf of Epstein or speak for him. Epstein sent clients to her, and he “occasionally sought my advice informally, similar to how he contacted many other well-known attorneys across the country,” she mentioned. “As I have previously expressed, I regret ever having known him, and I feel deep compassion for the victims of Epstein’s offenses.”

Goldman stated that it recognized the nature of Ruemmler’s role in her previous career as a criminal defense attorney. “The executives at Goldman who needed to be aware of Kathy’s prior interactions with Epstein were informed of what they needed to know, and they have never questioned that Kathy has been honest,” said Tony Fratto, a representative for Goldman Sachs.

“Prior to accepting the position at Goldman Sachs, she voluntarily revealed her connection with Jeffrey Epstein and other prominent clients and contacts who could draw media scrutiny, ensuring the firm was informed. The company conducted its own investigation and was content. No one involved in Kathy’s recruitment had issues with her previous legal work,” Fratto stated.

The rhythmic release of information regarding Ruemmler’s connections to Epstein has initiated both internal and external investigations. These examinations are likely to persist if additional details emerge.

Fratto mentioned that the board has been made aware of the issue and has full trust in Ruemmler.

Some Goldman Sachs executives started seeing Ruemmler as a possible risk to the company in 2023 following a report by the Journalexposing Ruemmler’s broad connections to EpsteinThe article disclosed that she had numerous meetings with Epstein, that he visited apartments she was considering purchasing and was aware of her sushi preference: avocado rolls.

Then in September 2025, Congress published the Jan. 18, 2019, version of Epstein’s will, which indicated that Ruemmler was named as abackup executor, triggering new alarms within the bank.

In November, Congress disclosed numerous emails she had sent to Epstein, including some that criticized President Trump, which caused concern among certain Goldman executives.

Trump is extremely unpleasant,” Ruemmler wrote in a 2017 message with Epstein. He responded, “even worse in person and up close.

On the day of the release, Solomon was scheduled to attend a White House dinner hosted by Trump for Wall Street CEOs. Concerned that Trump could cancel Solomon’s dinner invitation, officials from Goldman reached out to individuals they knew who had ties to the Trump administration, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Fratto stated that Goldman did not contact the White House or government officials about the dinner.

Solomon was present at the dinner, although some executives from Goldman expressed uncertainty about whether Ruemmler could remain in her position. She is the bank’s highest-ranking female executive and is part of a committee that assesses clients’ reputational risks. A person close to Ruemmler mentioned that she showed significant emotional turmoil following the release of the messages.

The name of Ruemmler is mentioned hundreds of times in a log spanning over 500 pages containing emails between Epstein and his legal representatives, which are sealed as Epstein’s estate has invoked attorney-client confidentiality.

Ruemmler told the Journal that she was not involved in the Epstein estate’s decisions to claim attorney-client privilege. “I had no awareness of any new or continuing illegal activity on his part,” she stated.

Throughout everything, Ruemmler has had a key supporter: Solomon. She developed into a trusted advisor to the CEO and earned his confidence by providing candid feedback on some of his concepts, according to those aware of the situation.

Interaction at Latham

Ruemmler and Epstein were acquainted around the time she departed from the Obama administration in 2014, during which she served as White House Counsel. At that point, she was a partner at Latham & Watkins, specializing in white collar defense. By then, Epstein had already admitted guilt in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution and was under public scrutiny in tabloids. He had become a mysterious, influential figure on Wall Street.

Reid Weingarten, a legal professional at Steptoe, played a role in developing Ruemmler’s connection with Epstein during her time at Latham. For instance, Weingarten had previously worked with the Swiss financial institution Edmond de Rothschild Group before passing the client on to Ruemmler; Epstein was considered an intermediary for the account. In 2015, Epstein signed a $25 million consulting contract with the Swiss bank, which he arranged with Ariane de Rothschild, another individual linked to Epstein.

Ruemmler worked with Rothschild as a client of Latham, handling a U.S. regulatory issue. Latham has stated that Epstein was not associated with the firm. Weingarten later became one of the attorneys who defended Epstein during his 2019 criminal trial.

Rogers, a prominent Goldman Sachs executive with significant influence in Washington, was impressed by Ruemmler’s contributions within the White House and attempted to bring her on board at the company’s highest level. In 2017, he introduced Ruemmler to then-CEO Lloyd Blankfein as the bank sought a new general counsel. However, Blankfein met with Ruemmler but ultimately chose another candidate.

Two years later, Goldman once more sought a new general counsel. Solomon had become CEO, and Rogers expressed his interest in Ruemmler again. Rogers and others evaluated Ruemmler. She was subsequently hired, starting as the bank’s head of regulatory affairs, in April 2020.

Shortly after, her connection to Epstein became apparent. She alerted several Goldman executives prior to the Daily Beast’s November 2020 article, which disclosed that she was present in court during Epstein’s 2019 arraignment. Others told the Journal that they spotted Ruemmler at the hearing.

That is when certain Goldman insiders started questioning whether the bank had completely grasped Ruemmler’s ties to Epstein.

Epstein informed certain of his attorneys in 2019 that Ruemmler, a former federal prosecutor, might be beneficial to his legal defense. Individuals within the legal team explored the possibility of requesting her to draft a letter regarding his character for a bail hearing, and whether she, along with other female lawyers under consideration, could conduct cross-examinations of some women who accused Epstein of misconduct, according to those aware of the situation.

Ruemmler informed the Journal that she never wrote a letter, defended Epstein, or was instructed to question victims. “I did not speak in his favor to any external party—neither to a court, nor to the media, nor to the government,” she stated.

In March 2021, Goldman elevated her to the position of general counsel.

Alarm inside the bank

In April 2023, the Journal published an article that explored the broader ties between Ruemmler and Epstein during her time at Latham. It highlighted how they met numerous times, that Epstein visited properties she was looking to purchase, and that he provided help with her travel arrangements. The piece also mentioned that in 2017, he intended to take her to his Caribbean island. At the time of the article, Goldman stated that Ruemmler never went to Epstein’s island or traveled with him.

Goldman Sachs executives voiced concerns to higher-ups, highlighting the apparent contradiction between the disclosures and Ruemmler’s position on the firm’s reputational risk committee, which is responsible for determining which clients the bank should avoid. The Epstein case is unrelated to her duties at Goldman, and she was transparent about her connection, according to some bankers who claimed they were informed.

A person within Ruemmler’s inner circle stated that Ruemmler mentioned, following the article, that Goldman had shown support for her.

Not everyone within the company was. In 2024, Solomon hosted a dinner at his Manhattan residence to tacklethe absence of women in senior positions at the top levelsof the bank, which at that time employed over 44,000 people. Some of the women who were present mentioned to the Journal that they were shocked that Solomon had Ruemmler assist in planning the event.

Solomon later expressed his concerns in a different meeting with senior women, stating that Ruemmler had received such a response. He mentioned he found it hard to believe that high-ranking women at the company would react negatively to Ruemmler, noting that she was a leading consultant and a valuable asset for the firm, as reported by those who attended.

Solomon stated in a release that no female individuals have brought up issues with Ruemmler’s participation at the dinner.

Concern within Goldman began to rise by spring 2025 as public attention on the release of the Epstein files increased. The Trump administration initially promised to release all documents but later withdrew. Some senior individuals at Goldman believed the company had avoided a major issue, according to those aware of the situation. However, this sense of relief was temporary when the House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena for the Epstein estate in August.

In September, the House committee published the Jan. 18, 2019, edition of Epstein’s will which identified Ruemmler as a secondary executor.

Her inclusion in the will was uncovered by some at Goldman as early as 2023, when an outside attorney notified a Goldman executive, according to individuals who are aware of the situation.

Fratto, the representative from Goldman, stated, “We have no knowledge of any such interaction within the company, and especially not with anyone in a leadership position.”

The will was revised prior to Epstein’s passing, with Ruemmler’s name no longer included. Ruemmler had requested to be excluded from the document, as she mentioned to someone within her inner circle following Epstein’s death.

Fratto stated that Epstein frequently listed several individuals as alternative executors in his wills. “Kathy had nothing to do with those decisions, she wasn’t included in Epstein’s final will, and she has been involved in none of the matters regarding his estate,” he mentioned.

Newly disclosed papers show that Epstein spent years looking for executors to manage his estate, attempting to involve many of his influential contacts. It is feasible to appoint individuals as executors without their consent or notification.

Jimmy Cayne, who was the long-time CEO of Bear Stearns where Epstein previously worked, Jes Staley, a former JPMorgan executive and ex-CEO of Barclays, and Larry Summers, who once led Harvard, were all listed in earlier iterations of Epstein’s will. A representative for Summers stated that he “had absolutely no knowledge of being included in an early version of Epstein’s will.” Staley has expressed regret over his connection with Epstein. Cayne passed away in 2021. None of these individuals held any position in Epstein’s estate.

Personal notes

Shortly after the will was made public, Ruemmler informed someone within her inner circle that she had support from both management and the board. In a conversation seen by the Journal, she minimized the significance of the disclosure.

At that time, a senior Goldman Sachs executive informed the Journal that Ruemmler did not disclose to Goldman information regarding her connection with Epstein prior to her employment, including that her name was listed in his will, that she had numerous meetings with Epstein, and that he assisted her with personal matters like finding an apartment and arranging travel.

The November release of emails from the Epstein estate contained correspondence between Ruemmler and Epstein discussing meetings with government representatives and other prominent individuals, as well as private topics.

In response to Comment by Ruemmler in September 2014That ‘most girls don’t have to worry about this nonsense,’ regarding a conversation he was asking her to have with someone else,” Epstein wrote, “‘girls?’ careful, I will resume an old habit.

In a message sent to Epstein in 2015, Ruemmler mentioned that she anticipated encountering individuals “who are at least 100 pounds overweight” when she “stopped to pee” at a rest area during a trip to New York. Epstein responded, “anytime you want, you can drive straight to me and I’ll feed you.::)”

In a 2016 email conversation, he mentioned her “nice black dress” that he noticed her wearing in a news photograph.

In December, during a legal case involving accusers of Epstein, a record of Epstein’s emails was made public, highlighting the messages along with their subject lines. The actual content was not disclosed due to assertions of attorney-client confidentiality.

Ruemmler was involved in hundreds of emails from 2014 to 2019, just before Epstein’s arrest. The messages concerned legal guidance on adhering to a nonprosecution agreement and legal tactics connected to a case filed by victims to contest the deal, among other topics, as stated in the summaries.

One of the messages, from February 2018, has the subject line: “Re: this email chain was found today! Brad stating the girls were paid for their services.”

Ruemmler sent and received numerous emails and frequently communicated via email with Martin Weinberg, one of Epstein’s criminal defense lawyers, as well as Darren Indyke, his long-time attorney. Certain emails involved Ghislaine Maxwell and were noted in the log as exchanges with legal counsel.

Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend, was convicted in 2021for her part in assisting Epstein in recruiting and sexually assaulting minor girls, and is currently serving a 20-year prison term.

A few days following the November release of emails from Congress, Ruemmler and a coworker sent a message to Goldman employees regarding finishing required communications training. This was the type of standard email that staff typically overlooked. Some individuals found Ruemmler’s participation, during the aftermath of the Epstein emails, to be disrespectful.

The message stated: “No matter the language, platform, or method of interaction, what and how you convey information speaks volumes about you and the image of the company.”

Write to AnnaMaria Andriotis atannamaria.andriotis@wsj.com