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Kathy Ruemmler, Goldman Sachs’ top lawyer and general counsel, announced Thursday that she will resign from the firm, effective June 30, 2026. Ruemmler, who previously served as a White House counsel to President Barack Obama, said her decision followed the release of emails showing her close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
The Associated Press reported that the emails reflected a relationship in which Ruemmler described Epstein as an “older brother” and downplayed his sex crimes. The same report said Ruemmler had tried to distance herself from the emails and other correspondence before announcing her resignation.
In her resignation statement, Ruemmler said, “Since I joined Goldman Sachs six years ago, it has been my privilege to help oversee the firm’s legal, reputational, and regulatory matters; to enhance our strong risk management processes; and to ensure that we live by our core value of integrity in everything we do. My responsibility is to put Goldman Sachs’ interests first.”
Goldman Sachs said in a statement before the resignation that Ruemmler “regrets ever knowing him,” according to the Associated Press report. The firm’s chief executive, David Solomon, said he accepted the resignation, adding that he respected Ruemmler’s decision. Solomon also described her as a mentor and friend to the firm’s employees.
The Associated Press report said Ruemmler had called Epstein a “monster” in more recent statements, but it described different language before Epstein was arrested again in 2019 and later died by suicide in a Manhattan jail. It said Ruemmler called Epstein “Uncle Jeffrey” in emails and wrote that she adored him.
According to the Associated Press report, Ruemmler also received expensive gifts from Epstein during the period when he was already a convicted sex offender. The report said the gifts included luxury handbags and a fur coat and that they were given after Epstein had been convicted of sex crimes in 2008 and registered as a sex offender.
The Associated Press report also said Ruemmler thanked Epstein in 2018, writing, “So lovely and thoughtful! Thank you to Uncle Jeffrey!!!” It further said Wall Street norms frown on gift-giving between clients and bankers or Wall Street lawyers, particularly high-end items that could create conflict-of-interest risks.
Goldman Sachs requires employees to obtain preapproval before receiving or giving gifts to clients, the Associated Press report said, citing the company’s code of conduct and describing the policy as intended in part to help avoid anti-bribery law issues.
Separately, the Associated Press report said that as late as December, Solomon described Ruemmler as an “excellent lawyer” and said he had his full faith and backing, before her resignation announcement.