WASHINGTON (AP) — Kathryn Ruemmler, who once held the top legal position at Goldman Sachs and previously served as White House counsel under President Barack Obama, is scheduled to answer questions Wednesday before a House committee regarding her ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Ruemmler joins a growing list of high-profile individuals called before the House Oversight Committee as part of a bipartisan investigation into the web of influential people connected to Epstein. More than a dozen prominent witnesses have already appeared, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former President Bill Clinton. Lawmakers are looking into whether Epstein’s wealth and influence helped protect him from accountability.
Thousands of documents released by the Justice Department revealed that Ruemmler and Epstein shared an extensive personal relationship. The records included private emails, social arrangements, and gifts that went well beyond any formal legal business between them.
Ruemmler held the White House counsel position under Obama from 2011 to 2014 and was briefly considered as a candidate for attorney general. She spent the past six years as Goldman Sachs’ general counsel before announcing in February that she planned to resign following backlash over her communications with Epstein.
The documents showed the two maintained a close relationship years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction on sex crimes, which made him a registered sex offender. While Ruemmler has more recently tried to distance herself from him, referring to him as a “monster,” the released records tell a different story — showing she had addressed him as “Uncle Jeffrey” in emails and written that she adored him.
Despite announcing her departure effective June 30, Ruemmler remains on Goldman Sachs’ payroll.
She is the 17th witness to testify in the investigation. Billionaire investor Leon Black was subpoenaed last month after lawmakers said he declined to fully answer questions about his lengthy relationship with Epstein. A committee spokesperson confirmed that Black’s attorneys have agreed to a formal deposition on September 3, and that Black’s nondisclosure agreements will be turned over by the end of next week.
The committee has also signaled interest in questioning acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, whose nomination to permanently lead the Justice Department is still pending before the Senate. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi identified Blanche as the department’s lead contact on the release of the Epstein documents — a process that has drawn criticism from both parties.
