When billionaire intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein wanted authorized recommendation, assist responding to detrimental press, or simply ethical assist, he usually turned to an surprising confidante – Kathy Ruemmler, an elite legal professional who served two US presidents and was as soon as a high candidate for US legal professional normal.
As hundreds of recent paperwork tied to Epstein have been launched, a lot of these closest to him have paid a steep worth for his or her friendship by forfeiting influential jobs and weathering fierce public blowback. Yet Ruemmler, a former White House counsel for Barack Obama, has maintained a prestigious submit as chief authorized officer for Goldman Sachs.
The financial institution has continued to face by her — at the same time as emails present Epstein calling her “my great defender” and searching for her assist pushing again on studies detailing his abuse of underage women.
A NCS KFile overview of Epstein’s emails and journey schedules sheds new gentle on his relationship with the power-broking lawyer and exhibits that their ties went far past skilled recommendation and into the realm of a friendship.
Among the numerous high-profile and notable names that seem within the Epstein messages, Ruemmler is among the most steadily referenced, with greater than 100 exchanges between her and Epstein over a number of years. Epstein’s schedule reveals that he was set to satisfy with Ruemmler greater than 50 instances between July 2014 and May 2019, together with for lunches and dinners with celebrities, condominium searching, and private magnificence appointments.
As early as 2014, the yr that Ruemmler left the Obama White House, the pair already appeared shut, with Ruemmler telling Epstein in one email, “I’ll be here all week — you may get sick of me.”
In a press release to NCS, Ruemmler stated, “In 2014, I barely knew Jeffrey Epstein. My remark was a throwaway line in response to his invitation to attend multiple meetings with business contacts.”
Across the numerous messages, Ruemmler emerges as a confidant and advocate for Epstein, at instances serving to him handle his public repute following his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Epstein’s property is combating to maintain lots of of extra emails between Ruemmler and Epstein non-public, arguing that they’re protected by attorney-client privilege. The privilege log exhibits that Ruemmler continued to speak with Epstein via at least June 2019 and suggests she was extra concerned with Epstein’s authorized affairs than beforehand identified.
In 2023, Ruemmler told the Wall Street Journal, “I regret ever knowing Jeffrey Epstein.”
In a press release to NCS, Ruemmler referred to Epstein as a “business referral source” when she was at the legislation agency Latham & Watkins and that she knew him in a “professional capacity” when she served as head of the white collar protection group at the agency. But she stated she “did not represent him and was not compensated by him.”
NCS despatched a collection of inquiries to Ruemmler and Goldman Sachs previous to publication. Ruemmler offered solutions to a number of of them, however others she declined to instantly reply — together with whether or not she was concerned with drafting a public relations assertion for Epstein or took half in discussions to assist him reply to media inquiries about his sexual abuse.
“I was one of a number of lawyers Epstein informally reached out to for advice,” Ruemmler stated in her assertion to NCS. “I had no knowledge of any new or ongoing unlawful activity on his part.”
In one electronic mail between Epstein and Ruemmler from June 2018 launched by the House Oversight Committee, Ruemmler dismissed reporting on Epstein’s abuse of underage women as “a novella of rehashed crap,” sending a follow-up electronic mail that simply stated “ugh.”
Ruemmler in a press release to NCS stated she was referring to the article as crap however not the allegations.
“The article struck me at the time as largely a compilation of prior reporting. I was obviously referring to the reporting, not the allegations of any victims,” Ruemmler stated. “I have deep sympathy for anyone victimized by Epstein, and as I have said many times, I regret ever knowing him.”
In 2019, as main shops reexamined Epstein’s lengthy historical past of sexually abusing minors, he invoked her recommendation instantly. In a textual content message from that yr, Epstein stated Ruemmler helped him craft a public-relations assertion in response to a forthcoming Washington Post editorial calling for Congress to analyze him.
At 4 a.m. on March 7, 2019, Epstein texted a draft assertion to a contact redacted by House investigators, calling it a “Ruemmler proposal” and writing, “this is what Kathy suggests we tell Waco,” correcting the typo seconds later to “Wapo.” The assertion — which Epstein stated Ruemmler offered — rejected claims he obtained a “sweetheart deal” in his 2008 conviction and argued prosecutors had pursued him too aggressively.
“The criticism is wrong and reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of both [the] facts underlying Mr. Epstein’s case and how it was prosecuted by both local and federal authorities. Far from a receiving a sweetheart deal, Mr. Epstein was subjected to a lengthy, aggressive, and highly unusual federal investigation for what were, in essence, local offenses of sexual solicitation. He accepted responsibility, served time and prison, and paid significant monetary settlements to the victims involved,” stated the assertion.
An editorial from the Washington Post’s editorial board later that day read, “How did Jeffrey Epstein get away with it? Congress should inquire,” however included no assertion from Epstein.
The Epstein property’s privilege log exhibits that Ruemmler emailed Epstein in regards to the Washington Post editorial the day it was printed in March 2019.
Another alternate from a couple of months earlier in December 2018 means that Ruemmler may have been concerned in discussions about how to reply to a Miami Herald 2018 investigation into Epstein’s abuse of underage women. In a collection of messages with journalist Michael Wolff, Epstein refers to somebody named “Kathy” whereas weighing whether or not to push again on the reporting.
“Kathy thought the piece is being lauded as great investigative journalism so does your suggested PR group have the better contacts to place a story on why it is not,” Epstein wrote. Wolff appeared to invoke Ruemmler as nicely, replying that any response “has to be war gamed out,” including, “Obviously I can contribute, Kathy can.”
As the fallout from the Epstein recordsdata continues, a lot of these revealed to be his shut associates in his web of power are dealing with blowback. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, previously often called Prince Andrew, was stripped of his royal titles. Former Treasury secretary and Harvard University president Larry Summers stepped aside from teaching and was banned for life from a prestigious economic association.
But Ruemmler has managed to fly underneath the radar regardless of working as the highest lawyer for one of many world’s largest banks, the place she made $22.5 million final yr.
Goldman Sachs has stood by Ruemmler, with their CEO David Solomon telling CNBC in mid-November that Ruemmler is “an excellent lawyer, and the organization relies on her guidance every single day.” The financial institution has stated her relationship with Epstein was purely skilled.
“As we’ve said before, and has been repeatedly reported, Ms. Ruemmler had a professional relationship with Mr. Epstein when she was at Latham & Watkins,” the company informed the Washington Post.
In a press release to NCS, Goldman Sachs stated, “Epstein referred business to Kathy, including a European bank he advised that became a client at Latham & Watkins. This naturally involved meetings and gatherings, including with other prospective clients, as occurred with other business associates.”
Ruemmler, 54, has loved a sterling authorized profession. After graduating from Georgetown Law and serving as an affiliate counsel to President Bill Clinton, she minimize her enamel as a younger federal prosecutor within the US Attorney’s Office in DC. She joined the Justice Department’s Enron Task Force, which efficiently prosecuted high executives of the vitality buying and selling firm for fraud.
She then labored in non-public observe earlier than becoming a member of the Obama administration as White House counsel. Ruemmler emerged as one in every of Obama’s authorized defenders of his signature coverage, the Affordable Care Act.
After leaving the White House in mid-2014, Ruemmler returned to non-public observe at Latham & Watkins. She joined Goldman Sachs in 2020 the place she is now the co-vice chair of the agency’s reputational threat committee – which determines which purchasers the financial institution ought to and shouldn’t work with.
A spokesperson for Goldman Sachs stated she met Epstein via her work in non-public observe at Latham & Watkins. The legislation agency stated Epstein was by no means a shopper.
Epstein seems to have trusted Ruemmler a lot that he relied on her as a personality witness.
In 2017, Epstein invoked Ruemmler in his efforts to attach with tech billionaire Bill Gates, whose then-wife, Melinda Gates, wouldn’t enable it given Epstein’s repute as a convicted intercourse offender.
“He wants to talk to you but his wife won’t let him,” learn a textual content message to Epstein from a redacted consumer in late January 2017.
Epstein then instructed Melinda join with Ruemmler to assuage her.
“Bill met my friend Kathy ruemmler, Obama counsel for 5 yrs. She would love to sit with Melinda and give her the other side of jeffrey,” Epstein wrote, including, “she is an arch feminist who is my great defender.”
Ruemmler in a press release stated she by no means met with Melinda Gates.
“I have no control over how Epstein characterized me or our interactions. I was not his defender. I never advocated on his behalf with any third party – not Melinda Gates, not the press, not a court, not a government official,” Ruemmler stated.
Representatives of each Bill and Melinda Gates didn’t reply to requests for remark. But the alternate presents a revealing window into Epstein’s relationship with Ruemmler and how he mentioned her with others.
Ruemmler was listed as a backup executor of a January 2019 model of Epstein’s will, in response to a disclosure from Congress first reported by the Wall Street Journal. “I have nothing to do with the estate and have never served in any capacity relating to the estate,” Ruemmler stated at the time.
She was reportedly additionally seen within the courtroom for Epstein’s arraignment listening to after his July 2019 arrest, sitting behind his authorized group.
The correspondence between Epstein and Ruemmler suggests a relationship way more intertwined than beforehand identified.
Emails and schedules present Ruemmler discussing articles, profession recommendation, political developments, journey, dinners, and logistics with Epstein; being invited to — and in some cases scheduled for — dozens of conferences; and even having private magnificence appointments, together with facials and a “Glam Squad” session, famous in Epstein’s calendars.
“Reminder: Kathy Ruemmler to see [redacted] today for a facial at 1pm,” learn one entry from March 2016. Another entry learn, “Reminder: Kathy Ruemmler to have the Glam Squad to her NY apt at 9am!” from February 2018.
The exchanges between Epstein and Ruemmler steadily drifted far past something resembling a traditional, transactional legal professional–shopper relationship. They exhibit a pleasant, at instances playful, rapport that’s remarkably informal and frank given Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
According to at least one former excessive rating official at Goldman Sachs, the agency was conscious of Ruemmler’s relationship with Epstein when she was employed, pointing to an article that ran within the Daily Beast in 2020 detailing her look at his arraignment in 2019 for intercourse fees associated to his repeated abuse and trafficking of minors.
“She clearly was friends with him,” the supply stated, including explanations that she gave for her ties to him now not made sense with the brand new revelations. “I would feel burned if I was them.”
In one alternate with Ruemmler, Epstein appeared to make gentle of his 2008 conviction.
In a 2014 thread that appeared to debate Ruemmler as a doable nominee for legal professional normal, she wrote to him, “Most girls do not have to worry about this crap.” Epstein replied: “‘girls?’ careful i will renew an old habit.”
Ruemmler didn’t seem to reply on to that comment.
In another email, Ruemmler wrote a few street journey on the New Jersey Turnpike when driving to New York.
“Going up to NY Friday morning,” she wrote. “Think I am going to drive. I will then stop to pee and get gas at a rest stop on the New Jersey turnpike, will observe all of the people there who are at least 100 pounds overweight, will have a mild panic attack as a result of the observation, and will then decide that I am not eating another bite of food for the rest of my life out of fear that I will end up like one of these people.”
“Ok, anytime you like, you can drive right to me and i will feed you,” Epstein replied, including a smiley face.
“Great,” responded Ruemmler.
Many of the entries in his schedule mentioning Ruemmler have been labeled as “appointments”; others famous “lunch” or “dinner” with Ruemmler and generally with different figures similar to Peter Thiel, Woody Allen, Steve Bannon and Bill Gates.
“I’m sitting here with Kathy Rummer,” Epstein stated in a single textual content message, misspelling her surname. “If you have any questions.”
“I did not travel with him, go out to dinner with him, or spend time with him one-on-one except in a professional setting. As has been well established, Epstein’s calendars and schedules often do not reflect reality,” stated Ruemmler in her assertion to NCS.
NCS’s Isa Mudannayake contributed to this report.