The newly released emails from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, turned over to Congress, provide fresh insight into his interactions with major political figures, particularly Bill Clinton and Kathryn Ruemmler. Epstein claimed he severed ties with Clinton because he believed the former president had lied to him, citing contradictory statements Clinton allegedly made with equal conviction only weeks apart. Clinton’s spokesperson dismissed Epstein’s remarks, reaffirming that Clinton had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and had not spoken to him in two decades.
The emails also reveal an unexpectedly close rapport between Epstein and Kathryn Ruemmler, who served as White House counsel under President Barack Obama. Their exchanges from 2016 show they regularly discussed politics and personal concerns, reflecting how deeply Epstein was connected within elite political circles. In one message, Ruemmler described a mysterious figure — presumably someone in their shared orbit — as “very close to being a psychopath” with “no conscience,” suggesting Epstein had voiced disturbing information to her.
A widely circulated message shows Epstein telling Ruemmler, “You need to talk to boss,” prompting speculation about whether he was referring to Obama, who was her employer at the time. The nature of the conversation remains unclear, though the emails imply Epstein was attempting to influence or alert her to something significant. Additional documents show that Ruemmler was once listed as a backup executor to Epstein’s estate, underscoring her unexpected proximity to him.
Despite Epstein’s claim of a falling-out with Clinton, the newly released 20,000 pages of documents contain other emails involving Clinton, leaving the duration of their rift uncertain. Epstein also interacted with high-profile figures such as Lawrence Krauss, who proposed a “men of the world” conference including Clinton, Kevin Spacey, Al Franken, and Woody Allen.
Ruemmler eventually reconnected with Epstein professionally after joining Latham & Watkins, where they shared a client referred by Epstein. Clinton’s ties to Epstein date back to the 1990s through donations, White House visits, shared flights on Epstein’s jet, and continued contact after Clinton left office, illustrating the persistent overlap between Epstein and political elites.
The records reaffirm that while Epstein cultivated relationships across many circles, Clinton’s link to him has endured public scrutiny due to travel logs, photographs, and the infamous painting Epstein kept of Clinton in a blue dress. The newly released emails add context but leave many questions unresolved.