There is a specific kind of exhaustion that comes from watching the world’s so-called "elite" expose themselves. It is not shock. We stopped being shocked years ago. It is just a tired sigh. It is the feeling of watching a bad play where you already know the ending, but the actors keep forgetting their lines. Today’s act in this theater of the absurd features **Kathryn Ruemmler**, the top lawyer at **Goldman Sachs**. Or, I should say, the former top lawyer.

Following the announcement of the **Kathryn Ruemmler resignation**, we have to ask: why did she step down from one of the most powerful jobs in the financial world? Was it because of a bad business deal? Was it because she lost a court case? No. It was because she was apparently best friends with **Jeffrey Epstein**. In fact, court documents and internal emails reveal she called him "Uncle Jeffrey."

Let that sit in your brain for a moment. "Uncle Jeffrey."

We are talking about a woman who was a top **White House counsel** under President Obama. She then moved on to become the general counsel for Goldman Sachs. This is a person who has walked the halls of ultimate power in Washington and Wall Street. She is supposed to be one of the smartest people in the room. She is the person who tells the bank what is legal and what is risky. And yet, she looked at Epstein—a man who was already a known sex offender at the time—and thought, "Yes, this man is like an older brother to me."

According to reports on the **Goldman Sachs scandal**, she didn’t just send him friendly emails. She traveled with him. She accepted his hospitality. The details are embarrassing, not just because they are gross, but because they are so pathetic. Why do these incredibly wealthy people love free stuff so much? Ruemmler was a high-flying attorney. She made plenty of money. She could afford her own first-class tickets. She could buy her own lunch. But there is a sickness in the upper class. They cannot resist a free ride, even if the pilot is a monster.

In her emails, she reportedly told Epstein, "I have a bird to pick with you," after he apparently cancelled a trip where she was going to join him. She treated a man convicted of soliciting a minor like a quirky relative who flaked on a family vacation. It is this casual intimacy that makes your skin crawl. It wasn't strictly business. It was personal. It was "Uncle Jeffrey."

The defense is always the same. They always say, "I regret it." Ruemmler released a statement saying she regrets her relationship with him. Of course she does. She regrets getting caught. She regrets that the emails came out. These people never regret the fancy dinners or the private jets while they are happening. They only find their moral compass when the newspapers start calling.

**Goldman Sachs**, the giant bank that runs half the world, accepted her resignation. Their CEO, **David Solomon**, said something about how she didn't want to be a "distraction." That is the magic word in the corporate world: Distraction. It is never about right or wrong. It is never about good or evil. It is just about whether you are annoying the shareholders. If you can be best friends with a monster quietly, nobody cares. But once you become a "distraction," you have to go.

What is truly depressing is what this says about the people running our lives. We are told to trust these institutions. We are told that the people at the White House and the people at Goldman Sachs are the best and the brightest. We are told they are sophisticated adults who understand the world. But look at them. They are not sophisticated. They are not smart. They are morally blind.

How does a top lawyer not do a background check on her "older brother"? Or, more likely, she knew exactly who he was and simply didn't care. In their world, money washes away sins. If you have a private island and a big bank account, you are a friend. You are "family." You are an uncle.

So, Kathryn Ruemmler is gone. She will pack up her desk. She will probably go to a nice house in the Hamptons or a beach somewhere to wait for the heat to die down. She will be fine. The rich are always fine. But the rest of us are left looking at the empty chair and wondering: how many more of them are there? How many other "Uncles" are lurking in the contact lists of the people who manage our economy and our laws?

The answer, sadly, is probably a lot. The door at Goldman Sachs will revolve. Someone new will sit in that chair. They will wear a nice suit. They will have a fancy degree. And we will just have to wait and see who their friends are. The play continues, and the audience is tired.

***

### References & Fact-Check * **Original Event**: Kathryn Ruemmler, general counsel at Goldman Sachs, resigned following disclosures regarding her relationship with the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. * **The "Uncle Jeffrey" Claim**: Emails cited in court filings indicate Ruemmler referred to Epstein as "Uncle Jeffrey" in 2017. * **Source**: [BBC News: Top Goldman Sachs lawyer who called Epstein 'Uncle Jeffrey' resigns](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy57l501v2yo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)