Kathy Ruemmler, Goldman Sachs’ chief legal officer, has been forced to resign after damning emails exposed a personal relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Kathy Ruemmler, the legal titan who once served as White House counsel to Barack Obama, has announced she will step down from her role at Goldman Sachs following the revelation of correspondence in which she referred to the disgraced financier as "Uncle Jeffrey."

The resignation, effective June 30, 2026, marks the abrupt fall of one of Wall Street’s most powerful women. It underscores the toxic and enduring reach of Jeffrey Epstein’s network, which continues to claim careers years after his death. Ruemmler’s departure is not just a personnel change; it is a reputational reckoning for Goldman Sachs, forcing the bank to confront the uncomfortable reality that its top legal guardian maintained close ties with a convicted sex trafficker.

The "Uncle Jeffrey" Emails

The catalyst for Ruemmler’s exit was a cache of emails that dismantled her previous defenses. [...](asc_slot://start-slot-15)While she had publicly denounced Epstein as a "monster," private communications painted a picture of genuine affection and professional proximity. [...](asc_slot://start-slot-17)In one 2018 email—sent a decade after Epstein’s initial sex crimes conviction—Ruemmler thanked him for gifts, writing, "So lovely and thoughtful! Thank you to Uncle Jeffrey!!!"

These were not merely social pleasantries. [...](asc_slot://start-slot-19)Investigators found that Ruemmler accepted luxury items, including handbags and a fur coat, during her time in private practice. Such exchanges flagrantly violate the unwritten—and often written—codes of Wall Street conduct, where accepting high-value gifts from clients, let alone registered sex offenders, is strictly taboo.

• The Timeline: Ruemmler joined Goldman in 2020, years after her interactions with Epstein, but the revelations have made her position untenable.
• The Defense: Until this week, Ruemmler had defiantly resisted calls to resign, attempting to compartmentalize her past relationship from her current role.
• The Fallout: CEO David Solomon, who as recently as December expressed "full faith" in Ruemmler, accepted her resignation today, signaling that the board’s patience had evaporated.

A Crisis of Judgment

The scandal raises serious questions about the vetting processes at the world’s premier investment bank. How did the former White House counsel’s ties to Epstein escape scrutiny during her hiring? Goldman Sachs requires strict pre-approval for gifts to prevent conflicts of interest and bribery, yet the firm’s top lawyer appears to have engaged in the very behavior the compliance department polices.

In a final statement, a Goldman spokesperson said Ruemmler "regrets ever knowing him," a standard boilerplate that does little to erase the digital trail of adoration. As Ruemmler prepares to vacate her office in Manhattan, her exit serves as a stark warning to the financial elite: in the post-Epstein era, private associations with the predator class have no statute of limitations.