A former White House counsel and top Goldman Sachs attorney told House investigators Wednesday that Jeffrey Epstein deceived her and used her reputation to make himself appear legitimate.
Kathy Ruemmler appeared before the House Oversight Committee in a closed-door session as part of the panel's ongoing probe into how the government handled its investigations of the convicted sex offender. Ruemmler previously served as White House counsel under President Barack Obama and later became the chief legal officer at Goldman Sachs. She announced her resignation from that role in February.
Ruemmler told committee members she never witnessed any criminal behavior by Epstein during the time she knew him. She also said she dismissed the expensive gifts he gave her, comparing them to the way businessmen attend Knicks games or play rounds of golf, according to sources familiar with her testimony reviewed by ABC News.
She did not represent Epstein as a lawyer, though documents from the Epstein files indicated she frequently provided him with legal and public relations advice. When Epstein was arrested on July 6, 2019, one of his first phone calls was to Ruemmler. She told the committee she cut off all contact with him after his arraignment and turned down an invitation to join his defense team.
In her prepared remarks, Ruemmler was direct about what she wished she had known sooner. "If I knew then what I know now about who Epstein really was, I never would have accepted an initial meeting with him. It was a mistake to deal with him, and I regret it," she said, according to a copy of her prepared remarks reviewed by ABC News.
Ruemmler said she was aware of Epstein's 2008 guilty plea to prostitution-related charges but believed the plea deal was a final resolution of his conduct. She also said the prominent people she believed were connected to Epstein gave her reason to think he had moved past his earlier behavior. She said he appeared to show remorse.
His 2019 indictment changed everything for her. The charges alleged Epstein had recruited and enticed underage girls to engage in sex acts in exchange for cash.
"I was shocked by the indictment, which alleged that Epstein had intentionally enticed and recruited minor girls to engage in sex acts with him in exchange for cash. Those horrific allegations -- which covered conduct that had occurred almost 10 years before I met Epstein -- contradicted what I had understood about the nature and scope of that prior conduct," she said, according to her prepared statement.
Ruemmler said she would have reported Epstein if she had seen any evidence of abuse. Instead, she said, he worked to keep that evidence hidden from her and others.
"Epstein was a masterful liar, and he clearly lied to me. I can see now that he used me and other respectable people to legitimize his standing, and I know now that he often exaggerated his relationship with me to others," she said, according to her prepared remarks.
The House Oversight Committee's investigation into the government's handling of the Epstein case remains ongoing.
