Former Obama White House counsel, Kathryn Ruemmler, faced tough questions from the House Oversight Committee about her long-standing affiliation with the late Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Both Republican and Democratic members of the committee challenged Ruemmler’s narrative regarding her relationship with Epstein.

Ruemmler, who recently resigned from her position as Goldman Sachs’ top attorney, appeared voluntarily for an interview as part of the committee’s investigation into Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, another convicted sex trafficker linked to Epstein. Committee members dismissed her claims that her interactions with Epstein were limited. Democrats expressed the sentiment that she should have been questioned under oath.

“She was desperately trying to distance herself from Epstein, but the reality is, we have the emails,” stated Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., to Fox News Digital. “It’s very clear that she had a pretty friendly relationship with him.”

Emails released by the Justice Department show multiple meetings and email exchanges between Ruemmler and Epstein despite his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor. It is noted that their communication spanned from 2014 to 2019. Ruemmler admitted to knowing about Epstein’s massages but claimed ignorance to the fact that minors were involved.

Epstein died by suicide in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Despite Ruemmler’s assertions of innocence, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., described her relationship with Epstein as “very concerning.” He indicated that Ruemmler worked hard to rehabilitate Epstein’s image post his conviction.

House Oversight Committee ranking member, Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., also voiced skepticism about Ruemmler’s reliability and transparency during the interview. He questioned her continued relationship with Epstein despite convictions of sexual assault involving minors.