Goldman Sachs' top lawyer steps down after revelations of her ties to Epstein

Goldman Sachs chief legal officer Kathy Ruemmler, announced Thursday she will leave the powerful Wall Street bank in the wake of renewed controversy over her past email exchanges with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which were recently released by the Justice Department "I made the determination that the media attention on me, relating to my prior work as a defence attorney, was becoming a distraction," Ruemmler told The Financial Times.

A trusted adviser to Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, Ruemmler had faced increasing scrutiny after federal authorities released millions of pages of documents linked to Epstein. The disclosed emails show that Ruemmler and the sex criminal exchanged numerous cordial messages for several years, even after his criminal conviction. In one 2015 exchange, Epstein asked her for legal advice. In another message, Ruemmler wrote of him, "Well, I adore him - it's like having another older brother!"

Another email pertaining to 2016 includes a note from Epstein's longtime assistant that read, "Confirm Hermes bag for Kathy!" Other emails show Ruemmler referring to Epstein as "sweetie" and thanking "Uncle Jeffrey." At one point, the attorney's name was listed as an alternate executor in Epstein's will, although she never served in that role. Her designation was removed before the financial tycoon's death. Ruemmler has maintained that her relationship with him was limited to professional interactions stemming from her work as a criminal defense attorney and has expressed regret at meeting him.

Before joining Goldman in 2020, the lawyer served as White House counsel during the presidency of Democrat Barack Obama.