Goldman Sachs is parting ways with one of its most powerful executives, and the circumstances surrounding the departure are as layered as the controversy that preceded it.
Kathy Ruemmler, the Wall Street giant’s general counsel and a key figure in CEO David Solomon’s inner circle, is officially headed for the exit following renewed scrutiny over her past communications with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Yet in a move that reportedly caught Goldman leadership off guard, Ruemmler made the decision to leave on her own — and informed Solomon directly.
The bank announced late Thursday that Ruemmler will step down. However, in a detail that has raised eyebrows across Wall Street, her departure will not take effect until June 30.
The timing comes after recently released Justice Department records revealed that Ruemmler maintained email contact with Epstein up until days before his 2019 death. The correspondence reportedly included messages signed “xoxo” and birthday wishes that prompted an inappropriate joke from Epstein. The disclosures fueled fresh media coverage and renewed public scrutiny.
Top Goldman Sachs lawyer Kathy Ruemmler, a former Obama White House counsel, is resigning amid Epstein fallout. The news breaking right after our report on Ruemmler’s relationship with Epstein aired on @OutFrontCNN.
— Andrew Kaczynski (@KFILE) February 13, 2026
Ruemmler addressed the controversy in a statement, saying, “I made the determination that the media attention on me, relating to my prior work as a defense attorney, was becoming a distraction.” According to sources, she personally called Solomon after the emails resurfaced, signaling that she had grown frustrated with how the story was being portrayed.
Despite the mounting pressure, Solomon had continued to publicly back her. In a statement following her announced departure, he praised Ruemmler as “an extraordinary general counsel” and expressed gratitude for her leadership on major legal matters.
That loyalty, according to reports, had frustrated some senior executives and alumni within the firm. Ruemmler was not a legacy Goldman insider. She was hired by Solomon in 2020 as chief legal officer and elevated to general counsel the following year — a clear signal of trust during what had been a turbulent period in Solomon’s early tenure as CEO.
When Solomon took over in 2018, he faced internal resistance and damaging leaks that threatened his leadership. Over time, he reshaped the firm’s upper ranks, consolidating a team of loyalists. Ruemmler was widely viewed as part of that core group.
Additional records released in January revealed that Ruemmler had received gifts from Epstein, including a $9,400 Hermès handbag and a spa visit at the Four Seasons in Washington, D.C. Her spokesperson, Jennifer Connelly, stated that Ruemmler “has done nothing wrong and has nothing to hide,” adding that nothing in the official record suggests misconduct. Connelly also emphasized that Epstein never retained Ruemmler as his attorney.