Former Goldman Sachs lawyer regrets Epstein ties in House

Former Obama White House counsel and Goldman Sachs chief legal officer Kathryn Ruemmler told a congressional committee on Wednesday that she regrets her relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, describing him as a "masterful liar" who used her and other respectable people to legitimize his standing. Ruemmler made the remarks during a closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee as part of its ongoing investigation into the network of powerful individuals connected to Epstein.

Ruemmler, who voluntarily appeared before the panel, stated in her prepared opening remarks that she first met Epstein in 2014 regarding a potential philanthropic project. She said she later learned of his 2008 guilty plea to charges including solicitation of a minor for prostitution but trusted that the plea deal was a final resolution of his criminal conduct. She said Epstein expressed remorse and claimed he had not known the women were underage. "If I knew then what I know now about who Epstein really was, I never would have accepted an initial meeting with him. It was a mistake to deal with him, and I regret it," Ruemmler told the committee.

She insisted she never witnessed any...