WATCH: House lawmakers speak ahead of Kathy Ruemmler interview in Epstein probe

By — Joey Cappelletti, Associated Press Joey Cappelletti, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-house-lawmakers-speak-ahead-of-kathy-ruemmler-interview-in-epstein-probe Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter WATCH: House lawmakers speak ahead of Kathy Ruemmler interview in Epstein probe Politics Jul 15, 2026 2:01 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Kathryn Ruemmler, the former top lawyer at Goldman Sachs who was White House counsel to President Barack Obama, said Wednesday in testimony to Congress that it "was a mistake to deal with" Jeffrey Epstein but insisted she never witnessed criminal activities. Watch Rep. Robert Garcia's remarks ahead of Ruemmler's testimony in the video player above. "I can see now that he used me and other respectable people to legitimize his standing," Ruemmler told members of the House Oversight Committee, according to a copy of her opening remarks. READ MORE: Goldman Sachs' top lawyer Kathy Ruemmler to resign after emails show close ties to Jeffrey Epstein Ruemmler is the latest prominent figure called before the House Oversight Committee as lawmakers investigate the network of powerful people connected with Epstein. The bipartisan inquiry has already included testimony from more than a dozen high-profile witnesses, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former President Bill Clinton, as lawmakers examine how Epstein's wealth and influence may have helped shield him from scrutiny. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Ruemmler served as White House counsel under Obama from 2011 to 2014 and was briefly considered for attorney general. She served as Goldman Sachs' general counsel for the past six years before announcing in February that she would step down amid backlash over her correspondence with Epstein. Although she said she would step down on June 30, she remains employed by Goldman Sachs. Entering Wednesday's hearing, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the committee, told reporters that Ruemmler will provide unique insight as one of the few people who was "very close in the last phase of Jeffrey Epstein's life." "I think some of the emails that are in the files are very concerning about how she communicated with Jeffrey Epstein," he added. Kathy Ruemmler, former chief legal officer at Goldman Sachs, arrives for an interview before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee over her ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., July 15, 2026. Photo by Al Drago/Reuters The two were close years after Epstein's 2008 conviction on sex crimes While Ruemmler has tried to downplay their relationship in more recent statements, thousands of documents released by the Justice Department showed that Ruemmler and Epstein had an extensive relationship. The files included personal emails,