Kathryn Ruemmler, the top lawyer at Goldman Sachs, announced her resignation following persistent pressure over her association with the late Jeffrey Epstein. This decision comes in light of newly disclosed emails from the US Justice Department, where Ruemmler referred to Epstein as 'Uncle Jeffrey' and had involved herself in discussions surrounding Epstein's media strategy while accepting luxury gifts from him.
In a statement, Ruemmler emphasized her commitment to prioritizing Goldman Sachs' interests, stating, My responsibility is to put Goldman Sachs' interests first. The resignation will be effective from June 30, with CEO David Solomon expressing gratitude for her tenure, stating that she has been an extraordinary general counsel and a mentor to many within the organization.
This fallout highlights ongoing reputational challenges for the Wall Street bank, particularly as Ruemmler led its reputational risk committee. Since her joining in 2020, her friendship with Epstein became an increasing public relations challenge for the company.
Ruemmler defended her relationship with Epstein, expressive of having known him only as a lawyer, claiming she had no knowledge of his criminal activities, while acknowledging missteps in judgment based on what has emerged about Epstein's true character. Her emails indicate a series of communications with Epstein from 2014 to 2019 after leaving the White House, where she served as counsel to President Obama.
Amid the growing number of revelations connected to Epstein’s history, Ruemmler's resignation marks an acknowledgment that such connections are untenable in the present corporate environment. This trend of high-profile resignations in connection with Epstein follows similarly concerning events involving other major figures like Brad Karp of Paul Weiss.
