The top lawyer at Goldman Sachs, Kathy Ruemmler, said on Thursday that she would leave the prestigious Wall Street firm amid controversy over her email correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein disclosed by the Justice Department in recent weeks.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Ruemmler said: “I made the determination that the media attention on me, relating to my prior work as a defence attorney, was becoming a distraction.”
Serving as a close advisor to Goldman CEO David Solomon, Ruemmler has drawn intense scrutiny for weeks as the DOJ dumped millions of pages of files related to the convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
“Throughout her tenure, Kathy has been an extraordinary general counsel, and we are grateful for her contributions and sound advice on a wide range of consequential legal matters for the firm,” Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said in a statement. “As one of the most accomplished professionals in her field, Kathy has also been a mentor and friend to many of our people, and she will be missed. I accepted her resignation, and I respect her decision.”
Ruemmler previously served as White House counsel in the Obama administration.
In the emails, Ruemmler was seen exchanging dozens of friendly notes with Epstein for years, including after his conviction.
Ruemmler was also, at one point, listed as an executor on Epstein’s will, although she requested that she be removed. She has maintained that she was only friendly with Epstein in the context of being a criminal defense attorney.
On Friday, a spokeswoman for Ruemmler told the Wall Street Journal: “These documents are consistent with what Ms. Ruemmler has repeatedly said: She knew Epstein when she was a criminal defense attorney and shared a client with him.”
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