Former Paul Weiss chair Brad Karp and Goldman Sachs GC Kathryn Ruemmler both reviewed documents that defended convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as he faced mounting scrutiny in the last months of his life, the Epstein files have revealed.
The files, released at the end of last month by the US Department of Justice, contain a wealth of communications between Epstein and both Karp and Ruemmler, extending to the months before Epstein’s July 2019 arrest and his death in custody that August.
On 2 March 2019, Epstein emailed Karp saying: ‘have letter to editor NYT ready to rock’, and asking Karp who the letter ought to be directed to.
Four minutes later Karp replied, noting four editorial staff members at the New York Times and advising Epstein to send the letter by email, adding: ‘The draft looked strong.’
Two days later, the NYT published ‘Jeffrey Epstein’s Attorneys: A Fair Plea Deal‘ – an open letter signed by Kenneth Starr, Martin Weinberg, Jack Goldberger and Lilly Ann Sanchez, identified in the letter as ‘Jeffrey Epstein’s current and former lawyers’.
All four were on Epstein’s legal team for the 2008 plea deal. Starr, the former US solicitor general, was well-known for his role in President Bill Clinton’s 1998 impeachment, but was not practising at a law firm at the time of the letter’s publication. Weinberg was a sole practitioner, while both Goldberger and Sanchez had founded their own firms – Goldberger Weiss and The LS Law Firm.
The letter defended Epstein’s 2008 plea deal, which saw the financier serve less than 13 months in custody after being convicted of procuring a child for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute.
It stated: ‘The number of young women involved in the investigation has been vastly exaggerated, there was no “international sex-trafficking operation” and there was never evidence that Mr. Epstein “hosted sex parties” at his home.’
On 3 March 2019, Karp also emailed Epstein with comments about a ‘draft motion’ – a discussion which Bloomberg has reported as relating to Epstein’s continued efforts to ensure his plea deal was not reopened.
‘The draft motion is in great shape,’ wrote Karp. ‘It’s overwhelmingly positive. Truly.’ He continued: ‘I particularly liked the argument that the “victims” lied in wait and sat on their rights for their strategic advantage, knowing you were in prison, before they came forward.’
In a statement released last week, Paul Weiss referred to Karp’s communications with Epstein as ‘a small number of social interactions by email, all of which he regrets’, and that Karp ‘never witnessed or participated in any misconduct.’
Paul Weiss also specified that Karp originally met Epstein through his representation of Leon Black, the former chairman and CEO of Apollo Global Management, ‘a significant firm client.’
Karp stepped down from his role as chair of Paul Weiss last week, though he remains a partner at the firm. In a statement, he said: ‘Recent reporting has created a distraction and has placed a focus on me that is not in the best interests of the firm.’ He has been succeeded by M&A partner Scott Barshay.
The Epstein files also show that Ruemmler (pictured right), then a partner at Latham & Watkins, sent edits to another draft article, which was never published, but which Epstein was considering submitting as an op-ed to the Washington Post.
Ruemmler sent her edits in a 16 December 2018 email with the subject line: ‘My edited version.’
‘Sweetheart deal!,’ begins the op-ed. ‘So goes the attack on the resolution of a long-ago federal investigation involving our former client – and now-friend – Jeffrey Epstein.’
It continues: ‘Jeffrey was subjected to an aggressive federal intrusion into what would typically be considered a quintessentially local criminal matter in south Florida.’
‘Our nation faces vitally important challenges, many involving the treatment of women and basic human dignity. Voices are rightly being raised speaking truth to power, especially about women in the workplace. But Jeffrey, an exemplary employer, has long since been called to account by the criminal justice system for his misdeeds of yesteryear.’
Subsequent emails show Epstein discussing with Ken Starr who the article should be authored by.
Ruemmler also corresponded with Epstein on 30 November 2018, two days after investigative reporting was published in the Miami Herald which shed new light on the allegations against Epstein, his trial, and the plea deal.
The precise context of Ruemmler and Epstein’s interaction here is unclear from the files, but Epstein emailed Ruemmler on 29 November saying that ‘friends’ were encouraging him to ‘say something so they can use it to defend themselves, but that he thought ‘quiet is best’.
In a reply from Ruemmler to Epstein, she says: ‘The problem is always the same – girls were teenagers. Doesn’t matter that they were prostitutes – it’s the age… I understand the instinct of your friends, but nothing short of a full and complete mea culpa is worth doing, and legally you can’t do that – at least not now.’
Ruemmler also communicated with Epstein in March 2019, saying ‘I am worried about you’, adding ‘will need to throw real money at the problem.’
Ruemmler left Latham in 2020. She spent a year as global head of regulatory affairs at Goldman Sachs before moving into her current position as chief legal officer and general counsel. She sits on the firm’s management committee, and also serves as chair of its firmwide conduct committee.
In a statement last week, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said: ‘Kathy is an excellent general counsel and we benefit from her advice every day. Kathy has always had the support of the entire leadership team and the Board and is widely respected and admired at the firm.’
Approached for comment this week, global head of communications Tony Fratto said: ‘All our prior statements about her stand. The team here is focused on our business.’
