Goldman Sachs’ top lawyer exchanged ‘xoxo’ emails – Business News
Goldman Sachs’ top lawyer Kathy Ruemmler signed emails to Jeffrey Epstein with “xoxo” and wished him a joyful birthday — prompting a crude joke from the disgraced financier about naming his penis, newly launched Justice Department paperwork show.
Ruemmler, who served as White House counsel underneath then-President Barack Obama earlier than changing into Goldman’s chief legal officer, emailed Epstein on his 62nd birthday in 2015: “I hope you enjoy the day with your one true love :-)”
Epstein replied: “they say that men usually gvie [sic] a name to their penis, as [it] would be inappropriate to make love to a total stranger.”
Kathy Ruemmler, top lawyer for Goldman Sachs, exchanged hundreds of emails with Jeffrey Epstein. AP
Ruemmler, who exchanged hundreds of emails with Epstein within the years between his 2008 conviction for procuring a minor and earlier than the extent of his alleged intercourse crimes got here to mild in 2019, mockingly shot back: “Hard to believe that there is still an open question about whether men are [the] inferior gender.”
Jennifer Connelly, a spokesperson for Ruemmler, advised The Post: “Ms. Ruemmler has done nothing wrong and has nothing to hide. Nothing in the record suggests otherwise.”
The newest batch of emails show that Ruemmler helped Epstein coordinate a response when ABC News was making ready a phase on “Good Morning America” that includes one of his accusers, Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
Giuffre had alleged that Epstein and his good friend Ghislaine Maxwell sexually abused her and trafficked her to different highly effective males.
In one electronic mail from April 2015, Ruemmler wrote to Epstein that Giuffre’s “fantastical claims are — on their face — not credibl= .” (Apparent typos within the recordsdata, together with the case above through which an an “=” is substituted for an “e,” are reportedly the end result of transcription errors within the DOJ’s rushed processing of the trove of Epstein recordsdata.)
In one other electronic mail chain, Ruemmler requested Epstein if Maxwell would give a assertion to ABC News.
Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted intercourse offender, joked about his penis in a single of the emails with Ruemmler. Corbis through Getty Images
Epstein wrote back: “her lawyer provided a long winded letter t= counsel. she will do as you suggest howver.”
In an electronic mail dated April 23, 2015, Ruemmler wrote: “Some suggested edits in the red-line attached.” The attachment was not included within the Justice Department’s doc release.
The emails show Epstein offering to fly Ruemmler to his non-public island within the Caribbean.
In a January 16, 2017 message, Epstein wrote: “If you like , i can have a pl=ne pick you guys up in st lucia on sat , fly you to the island. =nbsp; and you can go home from there on sunday , if it is not too much trav=l.?!”
Ruemmler replied: “Off the grid all day with t=e tobacco farmers in NC. Our flight Sunday back to NY is from St Luci=. Can we take a day trip to the island on Sat or is it too far?”
Ruemmler as soon as inquired about taking a “day trip” to Little St. James, the island previously owned by Epstein. REUTERS
Days later, the 2 exchanged messages about a Daily Mail article reporting that former President Barack Obama had visited Richard Branson’s non-public island.
“Should we invite him to meet you and lisa on my isla=d saturday. . ?” Epstein wrote, including in one other message that his island was “Much nicer than bransons. . more private=as well.”
Ruemmler responded: “If that came out, it would really be a scandal! Can you =magine what the Daily Mail would do?”
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Epstein later wrote: “What time sunday. My plane will be there.”
“10:30?” Ruemmler replied.
In one other message, Epstein wrote: “im planning on p=cking you up sun as early as you like,” referencing a copy of her passport.
The go to doesn’t seem to have taken place. On January 28, 2017, Epstein wrote: “I fully understand lisa position. . not wrong.”
The image above exhibits the e-mail exchanged between Ruemmler and Epstein in January 2015.
Ruemmler replied: “Yeah – still too much risk in the air.”
Separately, the emails show Ruemmler looking for Epstein’s enter on profession selections.
In October 2014, months after leaving the Obama White House, she despatched him a draft public assertion declining additional consideration for the place of US lawyer common and requested for suggestions.
In July 2018, she emailed Epstein a draft be aware she meant to ship to Facebook government Sheryl Sandberg following a assembly.
In March 2019, Epstein wrote to her: “i also prefer you to be clean from me when dealing with faceboo=.”
“Jeffrey Epstein was a man of a thousand faces,” Connelly advised The Post in a assertion.
“Ms. Ruemmler only saw the one he put on to win people over and gain credibility and acceptance. Her views were shaped by that and his denials of any wrongdoing other than what he had pled guilty to years prior.”
Ruemmler has been “clear and consistent from the outset: she knew him through her work as a criminal defense attorney, shared a client with him, received referrals from him, and was friendly in that professional context,” Connelly mentioned.
“At times, Epstein sought informal advice, and she provided feedback based on her understanding at the time, without any formal involvement.”
