A recently discovered copy of Jeffrey Epstein’s will, part of newly released documents, reveals a surprising detail – a former legal advisor to Barack Obama is listed as an executor. The House Oversight Committee has made public various materials from the investigation into the disgraced financier, who passed away in 2019 while facing charges related to sex trafficking. One notable inclusion was a letter with sexual connotations addressed to Epstein, allegedly signed by Donald Trump in a 2003 birthday album – a claim denied by the US president.
Among the disclosed files was Epstein’s will, signed in January 2019, eight months prior to his death in a New York prison cell. The will indicated that Kathryn Ruemmler, former White House counsel for Obama and current general counsel at Goldman Sachs, was designated as a backup executor for Epstein. The primary executors named in the will were Darren Indyke, Epstein’s former personal lawyer, and Richard Kahn, a former accountant. The will was updated following Epstein’s arrest in July 2019.
Questions have arisen regarding Ruemmler’s connections to Epstein, given her numerous meetings with him between 2013 and 2017, a period that followed his conviction in 2008 for offenses involving a minor. These details were reportedly found in Epstein’s diary, released two years ago. Ruemmler, then working for Latham & Watkins law firm, supposedly had plans to accompany Epstein to Paris in 2015 and his private island in the Caribbean in 2017, though she allegedly declined these invitations.
Reports suggest that Epstein initially engaged Ruemmler to represent Bill Gates and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Correspondences between Epstein and women purportedly under his employment indicated inquiries about Ruemmler’s presence, with Epstein generally approving their presence but cautioning one individual to stay away.
Goldman Sachs defended Ruemmler’s interactions with Epstein, stating that her meetings with him were routine and part of her professional engagements with clients. Ruemmler, in response to the released documents, emphasized that she had no involvement with Epstein’s estate and had never held a role related to it. She also expressed regret over her association with Epstein.
A spokesperson for Goldman Sachs reiterated their support for Ruemmler, highlighting her respected legal acumen and dedication to the firm’s interests.