Four documents show **Kathy Ruemmler** — Barack Obama's White House Counsel from 2011 to 2014 — corresponded directly with Jeffrey Epstein from her office at **Latham & Watkins LLP** beginning in March 2015.
The emails, recovered from Epstein's seized files and now part of the DOJ document release, include a draft engagement letter marked "Privileged" sent to Epstein's personal Gmail account. Get the full documents delivered to your inbox — subscribe to the InvArchives newsletter.
A Former White House Counsel Enters the Picture
Ruemmler joined Latham & Watkins after departing the Obama administration in June 2014. By early 2015, documents show she was communicating directly with Epstein using his personal email address, jeevacation@gmail.com.
The first document in the sequence, dated March 10, 2015 (EFTA02713585), shows Ruemmler sending Epstein a "Penalty Letter to Category 2 Banks" from the Department of Justice — a document describing deferred prosecution agreements for financial institutions involved in tax evasion schemes. The transmission was sent from her Latham & Watkins address on 555 Eleventh Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
The Draft Engagement Letter
On July 31, 2015, Ruemmler sent a second email to jeevacation@gmail.com with the subject line "Privileged" — a designation typically used to protect attorney-client communications from disclosure. The attachment was named SoTrustengageltr.doc (EFTA02718466).
"Attached for discussion is a draft retention letter. All suggestions/edits welcome."
The email's subject and attachment name indicate Ruemmler was drafting a formal legal engagement agreement — the kind used when a law firm formally takes on a paying client. The recipient was Epstein's personal vacation email account.
Latham & Watkins, founded in 1934, ranks among the world's highest-grossing law firms. Its Washington practice has long served clients navigating federal investigations and regulatory matters.
Judge Sweet and Defense Counsel Correspondence
Documents from later that same year show the correspondence continued.
On September 22, 2015, Ruemmler forwarded an email to Epstein with two attachments: a document labeled "WK_Robert W Sweet Senior Judge New York Southern.pdf" and a second file (EFTA02712082). Judge Robert Sweet was a senior judge of the Southern District of New York who presided over civil matters connected to Epstein's network.
On October 7, 2015, a further email shows Ruemmler forwarding a message from Laura A. Menninger of Haddon, Morgan and Foreman, P.C. to Epstein (EFTA02710643). Menninger was serving at the time as a defense attorney in proceedings involving Ghislaine Maxwell. The content of the forwarded message is not visible in the retained document.
What the Documents Show
Taken together, the four emails span March through October 2015 — a period when Epstein faced active civil litigation from accusers and scrutiny over the terms of his 2008 federal non-prosecution agreement.
Ruemmler's correspondence with Epstein during this window — including a formal draft engagement letter — places one of Washington's most prominent former government lawyers in direct contact with Epstein at the height of legal pressure on his network.
The documents do not specify whether the Latham & Watkins engagement was completed or what the firm's ultimate role was. Latham & Watkins declined to comment publicly on its client relationships at the time.
All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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This analysis references publicly released documents from the Epstein case archive. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless convicted in a court of law. Language such as “documents indicate” reflects what appears in source materials, not conclusions of guilt. Readers are encouraged to review the cited source documents directly.