Goldman Sachs’ Chief Legal Officer exchanged confidential emails with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein over five years. The multi-page privilege log, unsealed in December 2024, exposes her guidance on defending trafficking lawsuits. Victim attorneys challenge privilege, threatening to reveal the “inner workings” of Epstein’s operation.
The revelations have shaken legal circles, questioning ethics and client protection boundaries. Ruemmler’s previous roles as Obama White House Counsel and co-chair at Latham & Watkins complicate the story. The potential fallout could redefine attorney-client privilege and hold elite legal professionals accountable for long-standing misconduct that aided a known predator.
What’s Going On With Epstein Emails
Kathryn Ruemmler, Goldman Sachs Chief Legal Officer, exchanged about 277 emails with Epstein from October 2014 to June 2019. At the time, Epstein was a convicted sex offender. These communications, claimed under attorney-client privilege, focused on defending Epstein against sex assault lawsuits. Contradictions emerge with each new discovery.
Goldman Sachs employs approximately 46,500 people and has a market capitalization of $249 billion. Ruemmler’s career spans high-profile roles in government and corporate law. The emails, hidden for years, suggest a deeper connection than routine legal guidance. However, a closer examination of the timeline reveals the stakes behind these communications.
“Epstein Wasn’t a Client”—But 277 Privilege Emails Say Otherwise
Latham & Watkins publicly claimed Epstein was not a client, yet the 513-page privilege log lists 277 attorney-client communications. Ruemmler told the Wall Street Journal in 2023, “I did not represent him.” The emails challenge that assertion and empower victim attorneys to pierce privilege and access sensitive details of Epstein’s network.
These conflicting statements raise questions about how law firms handle high-risk clients. If courts rule against Latham & Watkins, the emails could reveal counsel who enabled Epstein’s crimes. The contradictions deepen legal scrutiny and threaten the firm’s credibility.
Congressional Subpoena Reveals More
A congressional subpoena released roughly 100 emails in November 2024, revealing Ruemmler’s personal relationship with Epstein. Discussions included career advice, real estate guidance, and introductions to his influential network. She commented on politics and criticized Trump’s administration. These exchanges suggest engagement beyond professional obligations, prompting ethics inquiries.
The disclosures add weight to claims that privilege cannot shield personal communications. Victim attorneys are likely to use this evidence to challenge the boundaries of legal ethics. The implications for elite lawyers could be severe.
Timeline Highlights a Troubling Arc
Ruemmler left the White House Counsel role in mid-2014, returning to Latham & Watkins. By October 2014, emails with Epstein began. In January 2019, he named Ruemmler backup executor in his will. By July 2019, Epstein was arrested. August 2019: he died in jail.
The sequence of events indicates coordination during critical legal exposure. It also raises questions about how Ruemmler’s guidance may have intersected with Epstein’s ongoing criminal activities. The compressed timeline foreshadows the legal battles ahead.
Advising a Convicted Sex Offender
Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting an underage girl for prostitution and served 13 months in jail. In 2014, Ruemmler began receiving emails advising him on how to defend against legal claims. She was not counseling an innocent person but a known predator accused of perpetuating decades-long abuse.
The ethical tension is clear: an attorney providing defense strategies to someone with a criminal record for sex trafficking blurs the lines between legal duty and enabling misconduct. Courts may soon weigh these communications under crime-fraud exceptions.
Victims’ Attorneys Push Back
“Overbroad Privilege Assertions Refusing to Produce Critical Information,” said Sigrid McCawley, attorney for Epstein victims, in December 2024 filings. Her team seeks to pierce privilege using the crime-fraud exception, arguing that Ruemmler’s emails addressed ongoing criminal activity. Formal challenges are now underway in the U.S. Virgin Islands court.
The legal strategy targets transparency and accountability. By focusing on communications that may have furthered criminal acts, victims aim to access information long shielded by privilege. The next court decisions could reshape precedent.
Executor Conflicts Raise Doubts
Epstein’s co-executors, Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, assert privilege over Ruemmler’s emails. Both face lawsuits for allegedly managing 140+ bank accounts, facilitating sham marriages, and directing millions in payments to women. U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise N. George called them “indispensable captains” of the “Epstein Enterprise.”
Privilege claims are scrutinized when made by conflicted parties. Courts may apply heightened review, especially given the potential for obstruction. The executors’ legal exposure may accelerate discovery of Ruemmler’s communications.
Crime-Fraud Exception Threatens Privilege
Federal law voids attorney-client protection when communications further crime. Victims must show Epstein committed sex trafficking, and Ruemmler’s emails advised defense for those claims. Court documents allege Indyke and Kahn managed operations supporting trafficking, making Ruemmler’s guidance potentially subject to discovery.
If applied, the 277 emails could reveal not only legal strategies but also insight into who knew what and when. The principle challenges long-standing notions of attorney-client secrecy in criminal contexts.
Goldman Sachs Supports Ruemmler
On November 19, 2025, CEO David Solomon said, “She’s an excellent lawyer, and the organization relies on her guidance every single day.” The statement affirms her role, but internal sources told CNN that some employees felt “burned” by explanations of her relationship with Epstein.
The bank highlights that Ruemmler’s involvement predates her 2020 hire. Still, public and staff perception may erode trust if emails reveal enabling behavior. Goldman faces reputational scrutiny even in the absence of financial liability.
Latham & Watkins’ Credibility at Risk
The firm earned $7 billion in 2024 with ~3,950 lawyers globally, yet stated Epstein “wasn’t a client.” Emails prove otherwise, potentially exposing malpractice. Partners averaging $7.1 million could face sanctions if courts find misrepresentation.
The contradiction undermines privilege claims and the firm’s reputation. The outcome may signal to clients and regulators that even top-tier firms are vulnerable to ethical lapses. Questions about internal oversight intensify.
The Victims’ Compensation Math
About 150 victims received $121 million from Epstein’s estate funds. JPMorgan settled for $290 million, Deutsche Bank $75 million, the U.S. Virgin Islands $105 million, plus half the proceeds from Little St. James. Total payouts documented: $666 million. Goldman Sachs has $0 liability, but reputational stakes remain high.
The financial exposure contrasts with ethical scrutiny. Ruemmler’s emails could link professional conduct to enabling abuse. The numbers illustrate the scale of harm and the incentive to contest privilege assertions.
Virginia Giuffre’s Death and Impact
Virginia Giuffre, the landmark Epstein accuser, died by suicide on April 25, 2025. She spent decades seeking accountability but never saw justice. The 277 emails that might have supported her claims remained sealed beyond her lifetime.
Her death underscores victims’ trauma while privilege delays resolution. The human toll adds urgency to legal battles. The ongoing exposure of hidden communications may finally deliver clarity for survivors.
Crime-Fraud Challenge in Progress
Sigrid McCawley’s motion in the U.S. Virgin Islands court argues that Ruemmler’s emails addressed the defense strategy for ongoing trafficking claims. If accepted, the 277 emails could be discovered, revealing what Ruemmler advised, what Goldman knew, and whether her judgment remains sound.
The decision could set a landmark precedent. The legal community watches as elite attorneys face accountability, while victims seek closure that has been decades in the making.
Legal Profession Faces Reckoning
This scandal transcends Goldman Sachs’ finances. Elite lawyers, White House counsels, and Latham & Watkins partners spent years assisting a convicted sex offender. Ruemmler shaped presidential policy, Latham earns $7 billion annually, and Goldman manages $249 billion. The 277 emails may redefine attorney-client privilege and force the profession to confront complicity.
The case highlights institutional ethics, professional judgment, and accountability. The legal profession is facing a historic reckoning with practices that allowed abuse to persist under the guise of privilege.
SOURCES
“Epstein Estate Says Emails With Top Goldman Lawyer Should Be Protected,” Business Insider, December 3, 2025.
“A Look at How Kathy Ruemmler Advised Jeffrey Epstein’s Legal Defense,” CNN, December 11, 2025.
“Understanding the Crime-Fraud Exception to the Attorney-Client Privilege,” South Carolina Law Review, October 22, 2023.
“Two of Epstein’s Closest Advisers Are Sued by His Victims,” New York Times, February 16, 2024.
“Jeffrey Epstein Accuser Virginia Giuffre Dies by Suicide,” BBC News, April 25, 2025.
“U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Settles Sex Trafficking Case,” U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Justice, November 30, 2022.