Goldman Sachs’ top lawyer, Kathy Ruemmler, announced Thursday that she will resign as the bank’s chief legal officer and general counsel, effective 30 June 2026, following revelations of her extensive correspondence with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Emails released by the US Department of Justice show Ruemmler referred to Epstein as “Uncle Jeffrey” and described him as an “older brother.” The communications also reveal that she received luxury gifts from Epstein, including handbags, a fur coat, and an Apple watch. In one 2018 message, Ruemmler wrote, “So lovely and thoughtful! Thank you to Uncle Jeffrey!!!”

Ruemmler, who served as White House counsel under former President Barack Obama from 2011 to 2014, said in a statement: “Since I joined Goldman Sachs six years ago, it has been my privilege to help oversee the firm’s legal, reputational, and regulatory matters; to enhance our strong risk management processes; and to ensure that we live by our core value of integrity in everything we do. My responsibility is to put Goldman Sachs’ interests first.”

A Goldman Sachs spokesperson said Ruemmler “regrets ever knowing” Epstein. Goldman CEO David Solomon added, “Kathy has also been a mentor and friend to many of our people, and she will be missed. I accepted her resignation, and I respect her decision.”

Ruemmler joined Goldman in 2020 and led the firm’s reputational risk committee. She has stated that she did not represent Epstein as a legal client and had no knowledge of any ongoing criminal conduct on his part.

The emails cover the period from 2014 to 2019, after Epstein’s 2008 conviction in Florida for soliciting prostitution from a minor and before his death in custody in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges. During this time, Ruemmler advised Epstein informally and maintained frequent communication, including discussions on media scrutiny related to his past legal cases.

She also reportedly telephoned Epstein on 6 July 2019, the night he was taken into custody for sex trafficking charges, according to notes cited by law enforcement officials.

Ruemmler’s resignation comes amid the release of millions of pages of documents by the Department of Justice, known as the “Epstein files,” which included emails, videos, and images linked to Epstein and other high-profile figures. These disclosures have prompted public scrutiny and corporate resignations beyond Goldman Sachs, including the chairman of US law firm Paul Weiss.

The documents reveal that while at Goldman, Ruemmler oversaw legal, regulatory, and reputational risk matters and was a member of the firm’s top leadership. Goldman Sachs requires employees to obtain pre-approval before receiving or giving gifts to clients to comply with anti-bribery and conflict-of-interest regulations.