Goldman Sachs senior counsel Kathryn Ruemmler is scheduled to testify before a House committee on Wednesday as lawmakers examine her past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, renewing scrutiny of the Wall Street firm’s decision to retain her after documents released by the Justice Department detailed previously undisclosed contacts with the convicted sex offender.
Ruemmler stepped down as Goldman Sachs’ chief legal officer and general counsel at the end of June after the documents became public. CEO David Solomon said at the time that she would remain with the bank in an advisory role as senior counsel until a successor is appointed, a decision that has drawn criticism from some members of Congress.
Ruemmler is expected to appear before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which is investigating Epstein, his associate Ghislaine Maxwell and the federal government’s handling of the cases. The committee has issued subpoenas and interview requests to several people with ties to Epstein as part of the inquiry.
“Congress must use Ms. Ruemmler’s testimony to pull back the curtain on how Jeffrey Epstein built and maintained wealth, power, and influence while operating one of the most notorious sex trafficking operations in modern history,” Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat on the committee, said in a statement.
Krishnamoorthi also said documents released as part of the so-called Epstein files suggest Ruemmler’s relationship with Epstein was more extensive than previously understood.
Justice Department records show Ruemmler exchanged numerous communications with Epstein between 2014 and 2019, years after he pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to a state charge of soliciting prostitution from a minor. The records also indicate that she accepted gifts from Epstein and advised him on how to respond to media inquiries about his criminal cases.
The documents further show Epstein called Ruemmler’s cellphone on July 6, 2019, the day he was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges, according to law enforcement notes cited in the records.
Ruemmler’s spokesperson has previously said she did nothing improper and had no knowledge of any ongoing criminal activity by Epstein while interacting with him as a practicing criminal defense attorney. The spokesperson also said the July 2019 phone call was brief and that Ruemmler took no action afterward.
Goldman Sachs declined to comment ahead of the hearing. Ruemmler did not respond to a request for comment.
In a June letter to Solomon, Krishnamoorthi and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts criticized Goldman’s decision to keep Ruemmler at the firm, arguing it raised questions about the bank’s due diligence and whether it viewed her relationship with Epstein as appropriate.
Rep. Ro Khanna of California, a co-sponsor of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, said he plans to question Ruemmler about what she knew regarding people connected to Epstein’s crimes.
Epstein, a financier whose circle included prominent figures in politics, business, finance and academia, died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.
As part of its investigation, the House oversight committee has also interviewed former President Bill Clinton, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
