WASHINGTON — Former Goldman Sachs chief legal officer and White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler told U.S. House investigators that Jeffrey Epstein was a “masterful liar” who deceived her and used relationships with prominent people to bolster his reputation, according to prepared testimony delivered during a closed-door interview before the House Oversight Committee.
Ruemmler appeared before the Republican-led committee on Wednesday as part of its ongoing investigation into the federal government's handling of investigations involving the convicted sex offender and financier, as lawmakers continue interviewing former associates and other individuals connected to Epstein.
In prepared remarks reviewed by multiple news organizations, Ruemmler said she now believes Epstein exploited her and others to legitimize himself.
“Epstein was a masterful liar, and he clearly lied to me,” Ruemmler said. “I can see now that he used me and other respectable people to legitimize his standing.”
Ruemmler, who served as White House counsel under former President Barack Obama before joining Goldman Sachs, told lawmakers she regretted her association with Epstein and said she would have contacted law enforcement had she known he was abusing women or girls. She maintained that Epstein was never her client and said she was unaware of criminal conduct beyond his 2008 Florida conviction while they were in contact.
According to her testimony, Ruemmler believed at the time that Epstein's 2008 plea agreement had resolved his criminal case and that his continued association with well-known public figures suggested he was no longer engaged in criminal activity. She said she ended contact with Epstein after his 2019 federal indictment on sex-trafficking charges.
The committee's interview follows the release of Justice Department documents detailing extensive communications between Ruemmler and Epstein, prompting renewed scrutiny of their relationship. Those records also contributed to controversy surrounding her role at Goldman Sachs, where she recently stepped down as the bank's top legal officer while remaining in an advisory position.
Some Democratic members of the Oversight Committee questioned the credibility of Ruemmler's testimony after the interview, saying they believed she had not been fully forthcoming about aspects of her relationship with Epstein. Ruemmler rejected suggestions that she knowingly assisted or concealed his conduct and said emails released publicly had been taken out of context.
The House Oversight Committee has conducted a series of transcribed interviews in recent months as part of its review of the government's investigations into Epstein and his associates. Committee leaders have indicated the inquiry remains ongoing, with additional witness interviews and document reviews expected.
