Ex-White House counsel questions Epstein accuser's credibility amid scrutiny

Kathryn Ruemmler, a former White House counsel and ex-general counsel for Goldman Sachs, has stated that certain allegations made by a prominent accuser of Jeffrey Epstein "lacked inherent credibility." Ruemmler's remarks were made to a House committee this month, according to newly released transcripts.

“

I don’t know.

Ruemmler's name has appeared frequently in records related to Epstein, the disgraced financier who died by suicide in 2019. Earlier this year, the US Department of Justice released Epstein Files under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. These files revealed that Ruemmler had accepted gifts from Epstein, addressed him with familiar terms like "Uncle Jeffrey" and "sweetie" in emails, and provided informal advice on how to handle questions about his sex crimes.

“

If she says that she was, I don’t have a reason to doubt that. However, there were allegations that she made that were, I believed based on my experience as a former prosecutor and as a defense counsel, that were of such a nature that they were – they lacked inherent credibility.

Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein's most prominent accusers, had previously testified that Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell abused her as a teenager and trafficked her to powerful men. When asked by the House oversight committee if she believed Giuffre was a victim, Ruemmler responded, "I don't know." She added that while she had no reason to doubt Giuffre's claim of being a victim, some allegations she made "lacked inherent credibility" based on Ruemmler's experience as a prosecutor and defense counsel.

“

She should be ashamed of herself.

Giuffre's family, including her brother and sister-in-law Sky and Amanda Roberts, strongly criticized Ruemmler's testimony. They issued a statement to CNN calling Ruemmler's attempt to cast doubt on Giuffre "reprehensible." They emphasized Giuffre's bravery, which they said encouraged other survivors to come forward, leading to over 50 people stepping down from positions of power. The family asserted that "the only person who lacks credibility is Kathy Ruemmler."

“

it as “reprehensible” to “attempt to cast doubt on Virginia, whose bravery was the reason so many other survivors stepped forward, resulting in more than 50 people having to step down from their positions of power”.