NEW YORK (AP) — Kathy Ruemmler, the top lawyer at storied investment bank Goldman Sachs and former White House counsel to President Barack Obama, announced her resignation Thursday, after emails between her and Jeffrey Epstein showed a close relationship where she described him as an “older brother” and downplayed his sex crimes.
Ruemmler said in a statement that she would "step down as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Goldman Sachs as of June 30, 2026.”
Up until her resignation, Ruemmler repeatedly tried to distance herself from the emails and other correspondence and had been defiant that she would not resign from Goldman’s top legal post, which she had held since 2020.
While Ruemmler has called Epstein a “monster” in recent statements, she had a much different relationship with Epstein before he was arrested a second time for sex crimes in 2019 and later killed himself in a Manhattan jail. Ruemmler called Epstein “Uncle Jeffrey” in emails and said she adored him.
In a statement before her resignation, a Goldman Sachs spokesperson said Ruemmler “regrets ever knowing him.”
In her statement Thursday, Ruemmler said: “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."
Goldman CEO David Solomonsaid in a separate statement: "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.”
During her time in private practice after she left the White House in 2014, Ruemmler received several expensive gifts from Epstein, including luxury handbags and a fur coat. The gifts were given after Epstein had already been convicted of sex crimes in 2008 and was registered as a sex offender.
“So lovely and thoughtful! Thank you to Uncle Jeffrey!!!” Ruemmler wrote to Epstein in 2018.
Historically, Wall Street frowns on gift-giving between clients and bankers or Wall Street lawyers, particularly high-end gifts that could pose a conflict of interest. Goldman Sachs requires its employees to get preapproval before receiving or giving gifts from clients, according to the company’s code of conduct, partly in order to not run afoul of anti-bribery laws.
As late as December, Goldman CEO David Solomon described Ruemmler as an “excellent lawyer” and said she had his full faith and backing.
A document that was included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, photographed Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, shows a photo of Epstein on a inmate report from the Federal Bureau of Prisons . (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)
FILE - White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler listens as President Barack Obama speaks at an installation ceremony for FBI Director James Comey at FBI Headquarters, in Washington, Oct. 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Joey Logano won the first Daytona 500 qualifying race Thursday night under caution when a crash in overtime cost Corey LaJoie a spot in “The Great American Race” and gave Casey Mears a coveted spot in NASCAR's opener.
Logano in a Ford for Team Penske had control of the race when a caution for a five-car accident with four laps remaining brought out the yellow. Austin Dillon got too big of a push from Chris Buescher and it caused him to run into Bubba Wallace and spin Wallace in an incident that sent the race into overtime at Daytona International Speedway.
Logano had the lead on the restart for the two-lap sprint to the finish with LaJoie in position to claim the one open spot in the 41-car field. But LaJoie was spun on the final lap and Mears missed hitting him by mere inches.
By ducking through, Mears beat out LaJoie and Chandler Smith for the transfer spot from the first 150-mile qualifying race. Mears recovered to make the Daytona 500 from an earlier incident on pit road.
“I just know that we made it, the car is damaged, but we got it in," Mears said. “I can't believe we are here based on our night and the way that it went. I didn't know who was in and whether or not we made it and then the guys started going nuts on the radio.”
Mears is driving for Garage 66, a team owned by former driver Carl Long with just 10 employees in Daytona. He's in pursuit of making 500 career Cup Series starts and received financial assistance from former NASCAR team owner Bob Germain to enter Daytona.
Mears, a veteran who last competed full-time in 2016, will make his 495th start Sunday.
“Everything was completely stacked against us,” Mears said. “I can't believe we're here. It feels good to be here.”
He said he's targeting superspeedways and road courses for the five starts he needs to hit 500 this season.
Logano, a three-time Cup champion, won the qualifier for the fourth time in his career. He won the Daytona 500 in 2015.
“I do think we have a strong race car, obviously a fast race car, we proved that,” Logano said. “There’s definitely some things I want to work on, no doubt. It’s always like that. We have to have speed. We’ll work on some handling pieces, but I feel like we’re pretty close.”
Ryan Blaney, teammates with Logano at Penske, finished second. Dillon was third.
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Cars move on the track during the first of two NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying auto races at Daytona International Speedway, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/David Graham)
Casey Mears speaks during a NASCAR Daytona 500 media day, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in Daytona, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Joey Logano, (22) wins during the first of two NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying auto races at Daytona International Speedway, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Joey Logano and crew celebrate a win in Victory Lane during the first of two NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying auto races at Daytona International Speedway, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Cars runs during the first of two NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying auto races at Daytona International Speedway, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Joey Logano watches the leader board during NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in Daytona, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
