Goldman Sachs' Top Lawyer Resigns
Goldman Sachs’ general counsel, Kathy Ruemmler, has resigned from the firm. Her departure follows the release of emails that reportedly revealed close ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The event highlights ongoing governance and reputational challenges at the investment bank.
- Before joining Goldman Sachs in 2020, Kathryn Ruemmler served as White House Counsel to President Barack Obama from 2011 to 2014 and was a partner at the law firm Latham & Watkins, where she co-chaired the white-collar defense group. She also previously served as a federal prosecutor on the Enron Task Force. - Her resignation, effective June 30, 2026, was stated to be a result of media attention becoming a "distraction" for the firm. In a statement, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon called her an "extraordinary general counsel" and said he respected her decision. - Emails released by the Justice Department show that between 2014 and 2019, years after Epstein's initial conviction, Ruemmler referred to him as "Uncle Jeffrey" and an "older brother". The communications also revealed she received expensive gifts from him, including luxury handbags and a fur coat. - At Goldman Sachs, Ruemmler held the roles of chief legal officer and general counsel and was a member of the firm's management committee. She also co-chaired the bank's reputational risk committee. - The disclosures reportedly caused frustration within Goldman Sachs, with some board members expressing private concerns over the potential damage to the bank's reputation. Several former partners of the firm also expressed surprise that CEO David Solomon had initially supported Ruemmler. - Ruemmler's departure is one of several high-profile resignations linked to Epstein's associates. The chairman of the law firm Paul Weiss, Brad Karp, stepped down from his leadership role, and former Harvard President Larry Summers also retreated from public commitments following revelations about his own ties.
