Kathy Ruemmler is a high-profile attorney with a career spanning government service, federal prosecution, and top-tier corporate law. While she maintains a professional distance from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, the 2015 email exchange with Epstein—reported by CNN—has drawn media attention.
Kathy Ruemmler, a former White House Counsel under President Barack Obama and current Chief Legal Officer at Goldman Sachs, recently came into the spotlight following the release of emails exchanged with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
According to CNN, the emails included a 2015 birthday greeting from Ruemmler and a sexually explicit, unsolicited reply from Epstein, which she promptly ridiculed before exiting the exchange.
While the correspondence drew attention, Ruemmler’s team emphasized her involvement was limited to the greeting and her response, and she had only given Epstein occasional legal advice.
Kathy Ruemmler: Early life and education
Ruemmler grew up in Richland, Washington, and graduated from Richland High School. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Washington and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center, where she served as editor-in-chief of the Georgetown Law Journal.
Legal career
Ruemmler began her legal career clerking for Judge Timothy K. Lewis on the Third Circuit (1996–1997). She then served as Associate Counsel to President Clinton (2000–2001) and as a federal prosecutor (2001–2007), working as an Assistant US Attorney in D.C. and as deputy director of the DOJ’s Enron Task Force.
Returning to private practice in 2007, she became a partner at Latham & Watkins, co-chairing its white-collar defense group before joining the Obama administration in 2009 as principal associate deputy attorney general.
Epstein birthday email exchange draws attention
On Jeffrey Epstein’s 62nd birthday in 2015, Kathy Ruemmler emailed to wish him well, writing, “I hope you enjoy the day with your one true love. :-)”
According to CNN, Epstein responded with a sexually explicit and unsolicited remark in a typo-laden email, stating, “They say men usually gvie [sic] a name to their penis,” adding that it “would be inappropriate to make love to a total stranger.”
The news outlet reported that Ruemmler replied: “Hard to believe that there is still an open question about whether men are [the] inferior gender.”
Review of emails
According to CNN, the birthday exchange was part of hundreds of emails reviewed by the network that discussed Epstein’s legal battles and reputational challenges. The correspondence also included more personal communications between the two, including references to a proposed trip to Epstein’s island and gifts he had given her.
CNN reported that in some exchanges, Ruemmler discussed personal matters, expressed gratitude for their “friendship,” and signed off messages with “xo” and “xoxo.”
Ruemmler’s attorney denies improper banter
Following the latest release of Epstein-related documents, Ruemmler and her communications team referred CNN’s questions to her attorney, Tom Clare.
Tom Clare further clarified Ruemmler’s position in a statement to CNN, saying: “The fact is: Ms. Ruemmler does not make any statement about Epstein’s penis. She does not reference it. She does not joke about it. She does not banter with Epstein about it. She does not accede to Epstein’s unsolicited, gratuitous remarks about men and their penises. Nothing. Her participation in the entire exchange in [sic] limited to (1) wishing Epstein a happy birthday; (2) ridiculing Epstein for the remark; and (3) exiting the exchange.”
