The unsealed 513-page privilege log in a civil suit portrays Kathy Ruemmler — former Obama White House counsel and current Goldman Sachs general counsel — as a recurrent legal adviser to Jeffrey Epstein from 2014–2019. The estate’s filing describes her involvement in protecting Epstein’s 2008 non-prosecution agreement, drafting media responses and correspondence with lawmakers, and work to block a 2015 ABC interview. Ruemmler and her employers deny she represented or was paid by Epstein; legal experts note privilege turns on the client’s reasonable expectation of confidential legal advice, not on formal retainer or payment.
Court Filing Shows Kathy Ruemmler Advised Jeffrey Epstein on Major Legal and Media Battles, Log Suggests
Photo Illustration by Alberto Mier/CNN/Rick Friedman/Corbis/Getty Images/AP
A newly unsealed 513-page privilege log filed in a civil suit alleges that Kathy Ruemmler — former White House counsel to President Barack Obama and now general counsel at Goldman Sachs — provided substantive legal advice to Jeffrey Epstein during multiple high-stakes legal and reputational episodes between 2014 and 2019. The estate of Epstein is asking a court to keep thousands of emails sealed by asserting attorney-client privilege; the log’s descriptions portray Ruemmler as a recurring legal adviser in critical moments.
What the Log Shows
The privilege log, produced in a lawsuit brought by alleged Epstein victims against executors of his estate, lists more than 300 entries naming Ruemmler and records that she sent at least 135 emails to Epstein. More than 150 logged messages were exchanged exclusively between Ruemmler and Epstein. According to the estate’s descriptions, those communications covered:
Jeffrey Epstein is seen in this image, released by the Department of Justice on December 19. - US Justice Department/Reuters
- Efforts to preserve Epstein’s controversial 2008 non-prosecution agreement, including a May 2015 memorandum described as "providing memorandum containing legal advice" (subject line: "CVRA Memorandum 04.16.15.pdf").
- Drafting and editing proposed public statements and media responses.
- Preparing or revising correspondence with lawmakers, including suggested edits to a letter to Sen. Ben Sasse in early 2019.
- Coordination of strategy to respond to a planned 2015 ABC "Good Morning America" interview with Virginia Roberts Giuffre, with at least one draft letter to ABC identified in the log.
Responses And Context
Ruemmler and her employer have said she never represented or was paid by Epstein. Tony Fratto, a Goldman Sachs spokesperson, said it would be "irresponsible and wrong" to draw conclusions from short log descriptions and reiterated that Ruemmler did not advocate to third parties on Epstein’s behalf. Latham & Watkins, Ruemmler’s former firm, previously told CNN that Epstein was not a firm client.
Legal experts emphasize that attorney-client privilege belongs to the client and can apply even without a formal engagement or payment if the client reasonably expected confidential legal advice.
Ken Broun, emeritus professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law, noted that privilege protects communications made for the purpose of legal advice regardless of a formal engagement. Elise Maizel, a privilege expert and law professor, said compensation is not required to establish an attorney-client relationship.
Kathy Ruemmler during an appearance on "Meet the Press" in June 2014. - William B. Plowman/NBC/Getty Images
Notable Episodes In The Log
The entries offer new detail about how Epstein and his advisers handled several sensitive episodes. For example, the log describes Ruemmler’s participation in drafting or editing a letter that Martin Weinberg later sent to ABC on April 24, 2015, warning against airing Giuffre’s allegations. The log also shows Ruemmler providing "suggested edits" in early 2019 to a letter to Sen. Ben Sasse as scrutiny of Epstein’s earlier prosecution intensified.
The privilege log was produced in litigation against Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, Epstein’s longtime lawyer and accountant, in a suit that accuses them of facilitating his crimes — claims the two men have strongly denied. The entries themselves remain sealed while the court considers privilege claims.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre, with a photo of herself as a teenager. - Emily Michot/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service/Getty Images
Why This Matters
If the descriptions in the log reflect substantive legal advice, they could complicate Ruemmler’s public assertions that any interactions were informal and limited. At the same time, the log alone — without the underlying emails — does not prove the content or context of the communications. The court will ultimately decide whether the communications are shielded by privilege, and the litigation may reveal more detail if the judge orders disclosure.
Key facts: the log spans entries from as early as 2008 through July 2019; Ruemmler worked at Latham & Watkins from summer 2014 until 2020 and later became Goldman Sachs’ chief legal officer, earning $22.5 million in 2024. Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a prominent accuser, died by suicide last year; her planned ABC interview in 2015 did not air.
As the privilege dispute proceeds, the filings add new context to the long-running public and legal scrutiny of Epstein’s network and the professionals who interacted with him.
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