Major Democrat donor Brad Karp stepped down Wednesday from his role as chairman of Paul Weiss after newly released emails revealed close ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
While the firm did not provide a reason for his departure, Karp said in a statement that “recent reporting has created a distraction and has placed a focus on me that is not in the best interests of the firm.”
“Leading Paul, Weiss for the past 18 years has been the honor of my professional life,” Karp stated.
Months before Epstein’s death in 2019, Karp helped him protect his 2008 plea deal on sex trafficking charges by reviewing a draft court filing, emails released by the Department of Justice revealed.
“The draft motion is in great shape. It’s overwhelmingly persuasive. Truly,” Karp wrote to Epstein on March 3, 2019.
“I don’t see a credible counter to our arguments,” he continued. “The case law is totally stacked in favor of our position. Even the equities are — I particularly liked the argument that the ‘victims’ lied in wait and sat on their rights for their strategic advantage, knowing you were in prison, before they came forward.”
Epstein forwarded Karp’s response to several other attorneys who advised him on legal matters, including former Obama White House Counsel and current Goldman Sachs general counsel Kathy Ruemmler. Ruemmler accepted numerous expensive gifts from Epstein between 2014 and 2019, including designer bags, electronics and spa days.
Karp did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Karp has donated nearly $250,000 to Democrats since 2020, including campaigns for former Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Joe Biden, according to Federal Election Commission data.
Other emails show an ongoing relationship between Karp and Epstein. In one exchange from April 2019, Epstein tried to enlist former Trump advisor Steve Bannon’s help to get Karp into the exclusive Augusta National Golf Club.
Karp will remain at the firm, giving his “full-time attention to client service,” according to the announcement.
Scott Barshay, who took over as chairman, said in a statement that Karp has “made immense contributions to Paul, Weiss over his more than four decades with the firm.”
“As Chairman of the firm, he transformed Paul, Weiss in an unprecedented way to the great benefit of our clients,” Barshay said. “We are grateful to him for his extraordinary dedication and service over his many years as Chairman.”
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