File photo: White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler listens to President Barack Obama’s speech during FBI Director James Comey’s inauguration ceremony at FBI Headquarters in Washington, Monday, October 28, 2013.
Charles Darapak | AP
Kathryn Ruemmler, a former top lawyer at Goldman Sachs, told the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein lied about his actions and used his relationships with celebrities to justify himself.
Ruemmler said in her opening statement that she had never seen evidence of Epstein’s ongoing criminal activity and that she would have alerted law enforcement if she had seen signs that he was abusing women and girls. She called her decision to deal with him a mistake and said she regrets knowing him.
“Epstein is a skilled liar and clearly lied to me,” Lemler said. She added that she now believes he used her and other “respectable people” to advance his own status.
Before going into a private, transcribed interview, Ruemmler told CNBC that he was “happy” to answer questions from lawmakers about his relationship with a convicted sex offender.
“As you know, we’re happy to answer any questions that we think will help the investigation,” Lemler said. “Then I look forward to working with the committee members today.”
The interview came weeks after Mr. Ruemmler resigned as Goldman’s top lawyer following new scrutiny over his friendly emails with Mr. Epstein. However, instead of leaving the investment bank, she remained in an advisory role while the investment bank searched for her permanent successor.
Lawmakers will question Ruemmler about her dealings with Epstein, including gifts she gave him between 2014 and 2019, her advice on how to deal with media pursuits, and phone calls he made to her after she was arrested on federal child sex trafficking charges in July 2019.
“I think we’ll have some questions about Goldman Sachs later this afternoon. We’ll have some questions about Goldman Sachs,” Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the committee’s top Democrat, told CNBC.
Ruemmler met Epstein in 2014 while working as a white-collar defense attorney at Latham & Watkins. Her spokeswoman said Ms. Rueml never represented Epstein and that they shared clients.
Documents released by Congress and the Justice Department show that Epstein sent Ruemmler lavish gifts and phoned him after his arrest. In a March 2019 email, she also suggested language she could use to counter criticism of the lenient plea deal she received in 2008.
Lemler said she regrets knowing Epstein. She has not been accused of participating in his crimes.
Goldman CEO David Solomon told CNBC in February that media scrutiny had made it “difficult to carry out my job and responsibilities” and that he had concluded “it was time to step back.”
In an interview Tuesday on CNBC’s “Halftime Report,” Solomon defended staying on beyond Rümmler’s announced resignation at the end of June.
“I want the best for Goldman Sachs, so why not take advantage of it?” he said. “It’s an obligation for Goldman Sachs to do what’s best, and Kathy…is helping us do that.”
Rümmler’s voluntary interview is part of an oversight committee investigation into Epstein’s crimes, the federal government’s handling of the case, and how he and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell cultivated influence among powerful people.
The panel also interviewed former President Bill Clinton. microsoft Founder Bill Gates and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.
In addition to his work in the private sector, Ruemmler also served as a White House advisor under former President Barack Obama.
