Kathryn Ruemmler

Kathryn H. Ruemmler
Kathryn H. Ruemmler
Born	April 19, 1971 (age 55); Richland, Washington, U.S.
Occupation	Lawyer
Years active	1996–present
Known for	White House Counsel under President Barack Obama; Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel at Goldman Sachs

Kathryn H. Ruemmler (born April 19, 1971) is a lawyer who held the positions of principal deputy White House counsel and subsequently White House Counsel under President Barack Obama. Before her government service, she was a partner at Latham and Watkins, where she co-led the white-collar defense practice. In 2020, Ruemmler joined Goldman Sachs as Partner and Global Head of Regulatory Affairs, and in 2021, she advanced to become the firm's Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel.

Early life and education

Ruemmler graduated from Richland High School in Richland, Washington. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Washington and earned her Juris Doctor at Georgetown University Law Center, serving as editor-in-chief of the Georgetown Law Journal during her time there.

Career

Between 1996 and 1997, Ruemmler clerked for Judge Timothy K. Lewis on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. She worked as Associate Counsel to President Clinton from 2000 to 2001. From 2001 until 2007, Ruemmler was a federal prosecutor, initially as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia, then advancing to deputy director of the DOJ's Enron Task Force. Notably, in 2006 she presented the government's closing argument in the trial against former Enron executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, both of whom were convicted (although Lay’s conviction was later overturned due to abatement ab initio).

Ruemmler rejoined Latham & Watkins in Washington, D.C., as a partner in 2007 but left in January 2009 to assume the role of principal associate deputy attorney general at the Justice Department. She served as White House Counsel from 2011 until 2014 before returning again to Latham. In 2020, she became a partner at Goldman Sachs, initially leading Regulatory Affairs globally and participating on the firmwide Management Committee; she later assumed the role of Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel.

During her time at Latham, Ruemmler had multiple meetings with Jeffrey Epstein between her White House service and joining Goldman Sachs. These included appearances on his itineraries for trips to Paris in 2015 and the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2017; however, she has stated that these trips did not take place and could not confirm any meetings with Epstein. She has expressed remorse about her association with him.

White House counsel

In October 2011, Ruemmler publicly denied Republican allegations that there was White House interference in awarding a $535 million loan guarantee to Solyndra intended to benefit campaign contributors. She affirmed there was no evidence supporting claims of undue influence during the Energy Department’s initial decision in 2009 or its 2011 restructuring that prioritized private investors over taxpayers.

During the winter recess of 2011-2012, both chambers of Congress held pro forma sessions preventing an official recess declaration intended to block President Obama’s appointment of Richard Cordray as Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. On January 4, 2012, invoking the Recess Appointments Clause, President Obama appointed Cordray and others despite Senate Republicans’ opposition led by Mitch McConnell, who anticipated legal disputes. Ruemmler defended these appointments as legitimate, arguing that pro forma sessions were procedural formalities insufficient to negate the Senate recess.

On January 6, 2012, the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel issued a legal opinion affirming the President’s authority to make recess appointments notwithstanding pro forma sessions.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision on National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius on June 28, 2012, Ruemmler informed President Obama and Chief of Staff Jack Lew that the Affordable Care Act had been upheld.

During negotiations over John Brennan’s confirmation as CIA Director, Ruemmler determined that intelligence committees could review Benghazi-related talking points emails without receiving copies; subsequently, these emails were released amid controversy.

Ruemmler announced her intention to leave her position as White House Counsel in mid-May 2014 and returned to private legal practice by July. In September that year, she was considered a contender for Attorney General following Eric Holder’s resignation announcement but withdrew from consideration in October due to expected difficulties during confirmation stemming from her close association with President Obama.

FINRA

In 2021, she became a member of the FINRA Board of Governors.

Personal life

The design company Ashe Leandro developed a furniture collection titled "Ruemmler" as a tribute to her. As a patron of the firm, the line includes items made from materials such as wood—frequently French Oak—alongside leather, silk, and steel.

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