At some point, screaming “this is fine!” into the void stops being aspirational and starts being delusional. For Kathryn Ruemmler, that point appears to have arrived.
Ruemmler announced she’s resigning from her role as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Goldman Sachs, effective June 30, 2026, following renewed scrutiny over her extensive communications with Jeffrey Epstein.
“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,” Ruemmler said in a statement. “My responsibility is to put Goldman Sachs’ interests first. Earlier today, I regretfully informed David Solomon of my intention to step down as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Goldman Sachs as of June 30, 2026.”
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…Yeah Goldman’s “core value of integrity” was about stretched to its limits to accommodate thousands of emails with one of the most notorious criminals of our time. And the communications went far beyond a routine professional relationship. Career coaching. Gift exchanges. Cringe-inducing jokes that land even worse in hindsight. And all of it unfolding while Ruemmler later occupied one of the most powerful roles in corporate America.
Ruemmler’s statement frames her resignation as an act of loyalty to the institution… but let’s not kid ourselves. This was the inevitable conclusion of a situation that became untenable the moment the public was allowed to read the receipts.
Goldman, for its part, is sticking to the Greatest Hits album of corporate exits.
David Solomon, CEO of Goldman Sachs, said “Throughout her tenure, Kathy has been an extraordinary general counsel, and we are grateful for her contributions and sound advice on a wide range of consequential legal matters for the firm. As one of the most accomplished professionals in her field, 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.”
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For years, powerful people and institutions convinced themselves that silence was risk management and that distancing statements could substitute for accountability. They can’t. As more records surface and more names are dragged into the light, the Epstein fallout is only getting started.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @[email protected].