House panel to question former Obama counsel in closed Epstein-related session

Kathryn Ruemmler, White House counsel under President Obama, is scheduled to testify Wednesday in a closed-door interview before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. The session forms part of the committee’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, with a transcript expected to be released later.

Ruemmler’s name appeared thousands of times in Justice Department records released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Emails between her and Epstein from 2014 to 2019 showed she accepted luxury gifts, addressed him as “Uncle Jeffrey” and “sweetie,” and advised him on responding to questions about his sex crimes. In a June New York Times guest essay, Ruemmler stated she first connected with Epstein in 2014 after leaving the White House when he contacted her about a potential opportunity to work with Bill Gates.

She added that she would have taken action if she had seen or heard anything suggesting Epstein was harming women or girls.

A spokesperson said that at the time she interacted with Epstein, Ruemmler was a practicing criminal defense attorney who shared a client with him and had no knowledge of any ongoing criminal activity on his part. Ruemmler announced in February that she would resign as chief legal officer at Goldman Sachs effective 30 June.

Reports in June indicated she agreed to continue in an advisory role after the bank’s CEO asked her to remain.

Two Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to the Goldman Sachs CEO in June requesting information about the decision to retain her and what she had disclosed about her relationship with Epstein before joining the firm. Goldman Sachs declined to comment.