Welcome to the latest chapter in former White House Counsel (and soon-to-be former Goldman Sachs General Counsel) Kathryn Ruemmler’s ongoing reputational crisis.
Now Ruemmler is headed to testify before the House Oversight Committee about her longstanding relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. A spokeswoman says she “welcomes the opportunity to appear before the Committee” and insists she “did nothing wrong and had no knowledge of any ongoing criminal activity on his part.”
That line should sound familiar. It’s the same one that framed Ruemmler’s initial defense weeks ago when the Justice Department’s release showed she had accepted tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of gifts and had advised Epstein on handling media inquiries related to his crimes. And it’s strikingly similar to the line plenty of other public figures have deployed in the face of Epstein scrutiny.
Just a few weeks ago, the latest release of Epstein files showed thousands of communications between Ruemmler and Epstein long after his 2008 conviction, including messages that went well beyond perfunctory legal exchanges. The infamous sex trafficker wasn’t a distant “professional contact” of Ruemmler’s at all — he was a booster of Ruemmler’s career, offering advice on negotiations and strategic introductions to potential employers while she was contemplating major career moves.
But it was more than just the volume of the emails — Ruemmler’s emails weren’t abstract legal texts or dry status updates. They showed a level of familiarity — including affectionate nicknames and personal engagement — that goes well beyond the claim of strictly transactional professionalism. Ruemmler thanked Epstein for expensive gifts and entertained jokes and career-related counsel from him (including one that aged particularly poorly in which she “joked” about trading one of Epstein’s “Russians” for a better compensation package).
The House testimony should be illuminating — or at least awkward AF — as they explore exactly what transpired between Kathryn Ruemmler and “Uncle Jeffrey.”
Stay tuned. Because this one is far from over.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @Kathryn1@mastodon.social.
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