Goldman Sachs chief legal officer and general counsel Kathy Rummeler announced she would resign at the end of June after emails revealed the extent of her past relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Emails show Rumeler referred to Epstein as “Uncle Jeffrey.” (Goldman Sachs/AP)Rummeler said he will “step down as chief legal officer and general counsel of Goldman Sachs until June 30, 2026,” The Guardian reported. The resignation followed the release of additional documents detailing communications between the two.
Email and gift detailsEmails show Rumeler referred to Epstein as “Uncle Jeffrey” and expressed affection for him in correspondence.
In a 2018 message, she wrote: “So nice and thoughtful! Thank you Uncle Jeffrey!!!”
At the time, Epstein had already pleaded guilty in 2008 to procuring a minor for prostitution and was a registered sex offender.
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While in private practice after leaving the White House in 2014, Rummeler received lavish gifts from Epstein, including high-end handbags and a fur coat, according to The Guardian.
Goldman Sachs’ code of conduct requires pre-approval for gifts from clients, in part to comply with anti-bribery laws.
Legal advice and later statementsThe documents also indicate that Rumeler communicated frequently with Epstein between 2014 and 2019, including advising him on how to respond to a media inquiry in 2019 about alleged preferential legal treatment.
“I was a defense attorney when I dealt with Jeffrey Epstein,” Rumeler said in a Feb. 3 statement to Reuters.
After Epstein’s 2019 arrest on federal sex-trafficking charges, law enforcement cited notes showing he tried to contact Rummeler by phone on the day he was taken into custody. A separate FBI note quoted Epstein as saying: “Is this about sex trafficking. Is this about minors,” and “Oh it’s bad, it’s pretty bad”.
Also read: New Epstein file raises doubts about date and cause of death; CCTV malfunctions, prison schedules and more
Goldman’s responseGoldman Sachs publicly supported Rummeler in recent months, even after the Justice Department released earlier emails. However, after the latest revelations, he confirmed his exit.
In a statement quoted by The Guardian, Goldman CEO David Solomon said: “As one of the most accomplished professionals in her field, Kathy was a mentor and friend to many of our people and she will be missed. I have accepted her resignation and I respect her decision”.
