It was an email about Jeffrey Epstein’s penis that ultimately ended Kathy Ruemmler’s run as Goldman Sachs’ top lawyer, people close to her tell the Post.
Ruemmler, who dealt with Epstein through one of her legal clients, is mentioned thousands of times in the Epstein files. But that one crude remark by Epstein, and her bland response made her situation untenable even if people close to her tell me it was intended to deflect from his rudeness.
“That email did it,” according to one person close to Ruemmler who was in contact with her up until the time of her resignation.
“It was just too much to explain away to friends and others even if there was an innocent explanation. She was tired. She wanted it all to end.”
The message dates to 2015, when Ruemmler, a former prosecutor, was a top lawyer at the firm Latham & Watkins, where she landed after serving as White House counsel for the Obama Administration.
Unlike many of the people in Epstein’s now infamous circle of friends, Ruemmler stumbled into her relationship with the convicted perv not because she needed something, but through her work for another client, the Swiss bank Edmond de Rothschild Group.
The understanding was that Epstein, even though he’d plead guilty in 2008 for soliciting sex from an underaged prostitute, would serve as a gatekeeper for the legal work Ruemmler was handling.
What began as a professional relationship soon evolved into something more friendly.
In emails, the two are seen talking about trips to his infamous island in the Caribbean (Ruemmler’s reps say she never went) and public relations advice to Epstein. She refers to Epstein as “uncle Jeffrey” after receiving boots courtesy of the creep.
When Epstein was arrested a second time in 2019, just before he was found dead in his jail cell from an apparent suicide, one of his first calls was to Ruemmler (her reps say she never engaged him as a client in any capacity).
It’s all very embarrassing for Ruemmler and Goldman. Yet for months Goldman Sachs stood by her, believing that while her dealings with Epstein might look bad, a fair reading showed she was dealing with someone on behalf of a client.
Ruemmler, meanwhile, carried on with her duties as general counsel of one of the world’s most prestigious firms seemingly without a hitch.
Privately, however, she was reeling. Goldman’s corporate culture is among the most cut-throat on Wall Street. Colleagues leaked stories that there were plans to move her out of the job, which the firm officially denied.
She found herself constantly explaining to friends and others the nuances of her exchanges with Epstein, people with knowledge of the matter say.
She is a criminal lawyer by training, but she said she was fooled into believing that Epstein had cleaned up his act; his single count of child prostitution a mistake with someone he believed was legal.
Then came the birthday email, and Ruemmler’s seemingly lack of outrage over its content.
The exchange starts off innocently enough, when Ruemmler writes to Epstein wishing him a “Happy Birthday! I hope you enjoy the day with your one true love. :-)”
Epstein responds: “they say that men usually give a name to their penis, as it would be inappropriate to make love to a total stranger.”
Ruemmler replies that it’s “Hard to believe that there is still an open question about whether men are yhe inferior gender.”
According to one person close to Ruemmler, the notion that she was casually discussing the penis of a convicted sexual predator was a bridge too far.
“It’s so sad what happened to her because when all is said and done she didn’t do anything wrong but talk to this guy,” said a person close to her. “And that one email just put her over the edge.”
