Chairman of prominent law firm Paul Weiss resigns after release of
emails linking him to Epstein
[February 06, 2026]
By MEG KINNARD
Brad Karp, chairman of one of the country’s most prestigious law firms,
has resigned from his position after the release of emails revealing his
exchanges with Jeffrey Epstein, a high-profile departure in the fallout
among those with ties to the late convicted sex offender.
A statement Wednesday from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison did
not explicitly mention any connection Karp had with Epstein, whom the
firm has said it never represented. But Karp, who will remain at the
firm where he has practiced for 40 years and served as chairman since
2008, said “recent reporting has created a distraction and has placed a
focus on me that is not in the best interests" of Paul Weiss.
The Department of Justice last week released the largest batch of
documents so far from its Epstein investigative files in compliance with
a new law intended to reveal what the government knew about the
millionaire financier’s sexual abuse of young girls, as well as his
interactions with rich and powerful people.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton have agreed to testify before a House committee investigating
Epstein after Republicans pressed for criminal contempt of Congress
charges against them. Bill Clinton, like a number of other high-powered
men including President Donald Trump, had a well-documented relationship
with Epstein in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Neither Trump nor
Clinton has been credibly accused of wrongdoing in their interactions
with the late financier.
The fallout has spread beyond the United States. A top official in
Slovakia resigned after photos and emails revealed he had met with
Epstein in the years after Epstein was released from jail, and British
Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued an apology for appointing an
ambassador to Washington who had ties to Epstein.
Among the newly released documents was a July 22, 2015, email in which
Karp thanked Epstein for hosting an evening that the lawyer said was
“once in a lifetime” and one he would “never forget.” Epstein responded
that Karp was “always welcome,” adding, "there are many many nights of
unique talents. you will be invited often.”
Later that day, Epstein told Karp he wanted to connect him with Larry
Summers, whom he described as “funny and warm.” Summers is a former
treasury secretary and Harvard University president who has been
ostracized from a number of organizations after Epstein files made
public earlier showed his close relationship with Epstein.
In 2016, Karp was trying to help his son, who was interested in a film
career, and reached out to Epstein in hopes of making a connection with
Woody Allen. Karp's son sent several follow-up messages to Epstein, but
it was not clear whether they connected further. In 2018, Karp was
invited for dinner with Epstein. Karp said he could arrange to have a
car outside to take him back to his office for a video call, before
rejoining the dinner.
“Im easy,” Epstein, in suggesting arrangements. “I know you are,” Karp
replied.
The messages between the two continued through the years.
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Demonstrators hold up signs the Paul Weiss law offices in New York
on April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, file)
In February 2019, Karp emailed with Epstein seeking advice on behalf
of John Havens, the former Citigroup president who, according to
Karp's message, needed “immediate help” before Haven's name came out
in what turned out to be a Florida massage parlor investigation.
Epstein also offered help finding a local lawyer for New England
Patriots owner Robert Kraft in the matter, with Karp suggesting
Kraft needed “the best there is.”
Both Kraft and Havens were among 300 men accused of being patrons of
massage parlors engaging in prostitution.
A month later, Karp was apparently reviewing a draft court filing in
which Epstein's lawyers argued that his plea deal in a decade-old
federal sex abuse investigation in Florida should not be reopened.
“The draft motion is in great shape. It’s overwhelmingly persuasive.
Truly,” Karp wrote in a March 3, 2019, email to Epstein, according
to documents published online by the Justice Department. “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 pleaded guilty to state charges in that case, spent 13
months in jail, paid settlements to victims and became a registered
sex offender.
Paul Weiss was founded in 1875. The storied New York firm has
advanced the cause of civil rights, handled the legal affairs of
corporate power brokers and grown into a multibillion-dollar global
enterprise.
In his return to the White House, Trump has sought to exercise
retribution against firms whose lawyers have performed legal work
with which he disagrees. Paul Weiss was among the targets. In March
2025, the Republican president issued an executive order threatening
the suspension of security clearances for its attorneys as well as
the termination of any federal contracts involving the firm.
That order noted that a former Paul Weiss attorney, Mark Pomerantz,
had been a central player in an investigation by the Manhattan
district attorney’s office into Trump’s finances before Trump became
president.
Karp was initially prepared to sue over the order, saying his firm
“would not be able to survive a protracted dispute with the
Administration.” Karp later cut a deal with Trump, saying that he
did so to save the firm. The move was ridiculed by lawyers outside
Paul Weiss, and more than 140 alums of the firm signed a letter
assailing it as well.
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