House Oversight Demands In-Person Testimony From Goldman Ex-GC Ruemmler Over Epstein Ties

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has requested in-person testimony from Kathryn Ruemmler, Goldman Sachs’ departing general counsel and former White House counsel, after newly released Justice Department documents and email threads tied her to Jeffrey Epstein. Ruemmler’s spokesperson, Jennifer Connelly, said, “She welcomes the opportunity to appear before the committee,” and that Ruemmler “has done nothing wrong and had no knowledge of any ongoing criminal activity on his part.”

The Justice Department documents cited by the committee reportedly show Ruemmler accepted gifts from Epstein and advised him on handling media inquiries about his crimes. The disclosures followed a separate House Oversight Committee release of emails that were provided by Epstein’s estate pursuant to a subpoena, and have intensified scrutiny of Ruemmler’s conduct while a senior adviser at Goldman Sachs.

Email excerpts published by the committee include a Aug. 26, 2015 exchange in which Ruemmler wrote, “Trump is living proof of the adage that it is better to be lucky than smart,” and Epstein replied, “ill give you details when I see you. when are you in ny?” Another thread from March 2018 contained Epstein’s line, “See you at 2, I ordered sushi for you,” after he had sent Ruemmler a Daily Beast article headlined, “How close is Donald Trump to a psychiatric breakdown?” The committee-released emails also touch on President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and references to “overweight highway rest stop patrons.”

Goldman Sachs has publicly defended Ruemmler amid the disclosures. A company spokesperson said, “Kathy is an exceptional general counsel and we benefit from her judgment every day.” David Solomon, Goldman Sachs’ chief executive officer, told colleagues that Ruemmler had resigned in February; Ruemmler has said she will leave the firm in June. The firm’s internal timeline and external scrutiny now converge as Ruemmler prepares to respond to the committee’s summons.

Epstein’s criminal history is part of the committee’s context: he pleaded guilty in 2008 in a Florida state court to prostitution charges involving an underage girl, served 13 months in jail and was required to register as a sex offender. The emails between Ruemmler and Epstein occurred years after that conviction, intensifying questions about the nature and timing of their interactions.

Ruemmler’s spokesperson also noted her prior work, saying she “was a practicing criminal defence attorney at the time of her interactions with Epstein, and shared a client with him.” With Chairman Comer’s request for in-person testimony standing and Ruemmler indicating willingness to appear, the committee’s next steps will determine whether her appearance is voluntary or compelled and set the timetable for public hearings. Her departure from Goldman Sachs has already been described within the firm as the most high-profile banking exit following the Justice Department’s latest release of Epstein-related documents.