Kathryn Ruemmler faced blistering criticism on Capitol Hill Wednesday after lawmakers accused the former Goldman Sachs executive and Obama White House counsel of downplaying her relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Democrats emerged from the closed-door interview saying they did not believe Ruemmler had been fully candid about her ties to Epstein.
“It is difficult to see how she’s being completely truthful in there with the answers she’s given the committee,” Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee’s top Democrat, told reporters.
“For her to deny that there was any type of real relationship there, I just don’t buy it,” Garcia said. He also criticized the fact that Ruemmler’s interview was not conducted under oath.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican, said the most troubling aspect of Ruemmler’s dealings with Epstein was her alleged effort to help rehabilitate his public image after his conviction for soliciting a minor.
Ruemmler is one of a growing list of high-profile figures questioned by lawmakers investigating Epstein’s network of wealthy and influential associates. The bipartisan inquiry has already included testimony from figures including Bill Gates and former President Bill Clinton.
In opening remarks, Ruemmler acknowledged that associating with Epstein “was a mistake” but insisted she never witnessed criminal conduct.
“Epstein used me and other respectable people to legitimize his standing,” she told lawmakers.
Her spokeswoman, Jennifer Connelly, pushed back on the criticism, saying Ruemmler “testified openly and truthfully for six hours and answered every question the committee asked.”
But thousands of Justice Department documents have painted a far closer relationship than Ruemmler has more recently described. The records include personal emails, social plans and gifts that extended beyond legal work. In some messages, Ruemmler referred to Epstein as “Uncle Jeffrey” and wrote that she “adored” him.
Ruemmler said she first met Epstein in 2014 while discussing a potential donor-advised fund involving Epstein and Bill Gates. She testified that she later learned of Epstein’s 2008 conviction and said he expressed remorse, telling her he did not know the girls involved were underage.
Ruemmler said she accepted the criminal case as a final legal resolution reached by prosecutors and approved by a judge.
The Epstein investigation continues to widen. Billionaire investor Leon Black is scheduled to sit for a formal deposition on Sept. 3 after being subpoenaed by the committee. Comer also said lawmakers expect to receive Black’s nondisclosure agreements by the end of the week.
The committee has also signaled it wants to question acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, whom former Attorney General Pam Bondi identified as the Justice Department official overseeing the release of Epstein-related records.
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance acknowledged during a podcast interview with Joe Rogan that the administration had “absolutely” mishandled its public messaging surrounding the Epstein files, directing much of the criticism toward Bondi, who had previously suggested an alleged Epstein “client list” was on her desk.
