The relationship between Jeffrey Epstein and Goldman Sachs’s top lawyer, Kathryn Ruemmler, has put quite the spotlight on her. The Epstein files reveal thousands of communications between the pair. Ruemmler said of their connection, “I was a defense attorney when I dealt with Jeffrey Epstein. I got to know him as a lawyer and that was the foundation of my relationship with him. I had no knowledge of any ongoing criminal conduct on his part, and I did not know him as the monster he has been revealed to be.”
But documents in the most recent Epstein file dump suggest Ruemmler knew something was up.
We know that Epstein was deeply involved in plotting out Ruemmler’s career, offering advice and negotiation tips on job offers. And in a June 2016 email exchange, the pair were discussing a potential job at hedge fund Citadel (Ruemmler never worked a Citadel, at the time of these emails was she was a partner at Latham & Watkins and co-chair of its white-collar defense group; in 2020, Ruemmler left Biglaw for the in-house world at Goldman Sachs, where she currently serves as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel).
Ruemmler seems skeptical about the job, and Epstein says “there is the off chance that [hedge fund founder Ken Griffin] might just be interested in a woman.” Ruemmler thumbs her nose at the notion of DEI, writing, “I ain’t no affirmative action.” Epstein responds, “i meant romantically.” And then comes the stomach churning line, “Oh, Jesus — meaning you are going to trade one of your Russians for my comp?!!”
Epstein is known to have paid “ostensible foreign models,” and the most charitable read is that Ruemmler was merely joking that trafficking one of Epstein’s Russian models to her maybe-boss might lead to a more favorable compensation package… or she suspected that was something the “monster” Jeffrey Epstein might really do on behalf of a trusted friend. (From all appearances, Griffin is just catching strays here, and Citadel said, “Ken has never met or communicated with Epstein.”)
Either way it’s an awful look for the prominent attorney.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @Kathryn1@mastodon.social.
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