At least two female staffers have made allegations that they were sexually assaulted by the husband of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, The New York Times reported Thursday, citing people familiar with the situation and a police report.

Chavez-DeRemer’s husband, Dr. Shawn DeRemer, has not been criminally charged, but has been barred from the Labor Department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., after the women detailed their claims to investigators, the Times reported.

The women said Dr. DeRemer, who is an anesthesiologist in Portland, Oregon, “had touched them inappropriately at the Labor Department’s building on Constitution Avenue,” according to the newspaper.

“One of the incidents, during working hours on the morning of Dec. 18, was recorded on office security cameras,” the Times reported, citing people familiar with the case.

“The video showed Dr. DeRemer giving one of the women an extended embrace, and was reviewed as part of a criminal investigation, one of the people said.”

The Labor Department’s inspector general, an internal watchdog, is investigating the situation, according to The Times. The paper also reported that Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department on Jan. 24 filed a report about forced sexual contact at the department in December.

CNBC obtained a public copy of that police report, which says, “The complainant reported a sexual contact against her will” during an incident at 11:30 a.m. ET on Dec. 18 at the Department of Labor building.

The complainant’s name was not given in the public copy of the report, nor was the name of the alleged assailant.

The inspector general’s office would not confirm or deny it was conducting an investigation when contacted by CNBC.

Dr. DeRemer, the Labor Department, the Police Department and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment from CNBC.

The Times in late January reported that a member of Secretary Chavez-DeRemer’s security detail with whom she had been accused of having a romantic relationship, had been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by the inspector general.

The Labor Department’s social media account in January posted a video that featured a slideshow of artworks depicting glorified scenes of American history.

The caption above that video said, “One Homeland. One People. One Heritage. Remember who you are, American.”

Social media users noted similarities between the Labor Department’s post and a Nazi Party slogan.

The slogan “Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer,” which the U.S. Holocaust Museum notes was used by Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party, translates to “One People, One Country, One Leader.”

The recent release by the Department of Justice of millions of pages of emails and other documents related to the notorious sex predator Jeffrey Epstein has led to a wave of resignations and other uncomfortable fallout for high-profile people around the world whose dealings with him have been exposed.

Those individuals include the top lawyer at the major investment bank Goldman Sachs, the CEO of Dubai’s largest port, a former president of Harvard University, a former U.S. president and ex-secretary of State, and the chairman of a leading American corporate law firm.

The fallout from the Epstein files and people mentioned in them has even imperiled the government of United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, even though the Labour Party leader never knew the convicted sex offender.

Epstein, who cultivated relationships with many rich and powerful men and women, pleaded guilty in 2008 in Florida to state criminal charges related to soliciting prostitution, with one charge related to a girl under the age of 18.

He ended up serving 13 months in prison in that case, but was allowed to go to his office many days for work.

In August 2019, Epstein killed himself in a jail in New York City, weeks after being arrested on federal child sex trafficking charges.

A number of the people who have resigned their jobs in recent weeks had friendly dealings with Epstein after his 2008 conviction, which was widely publicized at the time.

Being mentioned in the Epstein files does not mean that someone was implicated in any of the crimes that he previously pleaded guilty to, or was later charged with. No one on the list of names compiled by CNBC of those affected by their association with Epstein has been charged for such conduct.

Here are some high-profile figures who have been burned by their appearances in the Epstein files:

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem: CEO of DP World

Sulayem resigned as CEO of Dubai’s largest port operator on Feb. 13, after leading the company for 10 years. Documents showed Epstein once referring to Sulayem as one of his “most trusted friends.” CNBC has reached out to the government of Dubai Media Office and DP World, seeking comment from Sulayem, who to date has not issued a statement on the situation.

Kathryn Ruemmler: Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel at Goldman Sachs

Ruemmler, a former White House counsel under then-President Barack Obama, announced her resignation from Goldman Sachs on Feb. 12, effective at the end of June. Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Ruemmler was one of three people Epstein called when he was arrested in July 2019. She once thanked Epstein after receiving luxury gifts from him, calling him “Uncle Jeffrey.” Ruemmler told the Journal in January: “As I have said, I regret ever knowing him, and I have enormous sympathy for the victims of Epstein’s crimes.” 

Brad Karp: Chairman of Paul Weiss

Karp resigned as chairman of Paul Weiss on Feb. 4, after leading the major corporate law firm since 2008. Files show Karp thanking Epstein for a “once in a lifetime” evening in 2015, and asking if he could help his son land a job on a Woody Allen film in 2016. Days before he resigned, Paul Weiss issued a statement to The New York Times saying, “Mr. Karp attended two group dinners in New York City and had a small number of social interactions by email, all of which he regrets.”

David Gelernter: Yale University computer science professor

Gelernter was barred from teaching classes at Yale on Feb. 11 as the university conducts a review of his relationship with Epstein. Gelernter had extensive email communications with Epstein, which included one 2011 missive in which the professor recommended a Yale student for a project, referring to her as a “small goodlooking blonde.” Gelernter has not responded to CNBC’s requests for comment after Yale took action.

Bill Clinton: Former U.S. president

Clinton flew on Epstein’s private plane multiple times in 2002 and 2003, and was photographed in casual social settings with Epstein and the sex offender’s now-convicted procurer, Ghislaine Maxwell. Clinton initially resisted a subpoena by the House Oversight Committee to testify about Epstein, but agreed to appear after it threatened to hold him in contempt of Congress. Clinton is due to testify on Feb. 27. Clinton’s spokesman in 2019 issued a statement saying, “President Clinton knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York.” Clinton on Feb. 7 retweeted a post on X from his spokesman that said, “What DOJ has released thus far, and the manner in which it has done so, makes one thing clear: someone or something is being protected. We don’t know who, what, or why. We do know this: we need no such protection. It’s why only the Clintons have called for a public hearing.”

Hillary Clinton: Former secretary of State

Hillary Clinton, who is married to the former president, has said she does not recall ever speaking to Epstein. Despite that, the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed her to testify for its inquiry into the predator. Like former President Clinton, the former secretary of State initially refused to appear, but then agreed to testify on Feb. 26 after being threatened with a contempt finding. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14, Clinton again called for the release of all of the Epstein files, saying, “It is something that needs to be totally transparent,” The Independent reported. “I’ve called for many, many years for everything to be put out there so people can not only see what’s in them but also, if appropriate, hold people accountable. We’ll see what happens,” she said.

Peter Mandelson: UK ambassador to the U.S.

Mandelson was fired by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sep. 12 and resigned from the Labour Party on Feb. 2 over his ties to Epstein. Mandelson wrote a note in Epstein’s 50th Birthday Book, addressing him as “my best pal,” and has been accused of sending Epstein market-sensitive government information following the 2008 financial crisis. Mandelson, in comments to the Financial Times in February 2025, said, “I regret ever meeting him or being introduced to him by his partner Ghislaine Maxwell.” He also said, “I regret even more the hurt he caused to many young women. I’m not going to go into this. It’s an FT obsession and frankly you can all f— off. OK?”

Morgan McSweeney: Chief of Staff to the U.K. prime minister

McSweeney resigned Feb. 11, taking responsibility for Starmer’s appointment of Mandelson as ambassador. McSweeney told reporters, “The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong,” adding that the former ambassador “damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself.”

Larry Summers: OpenAI board member and former Harvard University president

Summers announced in November that he would step back from public commitments, including serving as a board member at the artificial intelligence company OpenAI and teaching classes as a professor at Harvard. The former Treasury secretary was named as a backup executor in a 2014 version of Epstein’s will. Summers, in a statement in November, said, “I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein.”

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor: Former prince, Duke of York

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, Duke of York, was stripped of his titles and mansion in a statement from Buckingham Palace on Oct. 30. Mountbatten-Windsor settled a lawsuit filed by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre in 2022 without admitting wrongdoing, and is being investigated by authorities in London for claims that he sent Epstein confidential trade documents. In a 2019 statement, Mountbatten-Windsor said, “I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein. His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure. I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives. Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required.”

Sarah Ferguson: Former Duchess of York

Ferguson’s charity, Sarah’s Trust, which focused on improving the lives of women and children, announced on Feb. 2 that it would be shutting down. The ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor described Epstein as “a legend” and “the brother I have always wished for” in emails long after his first conviction in 2008. In a statement to the Guardian last September, a spokesperson for Ferguson said, “The duchess spoke of her regret about her association with Epstein many years ago, and as they have always been, her first thoughts are with his victims.”

Jack Lang: President of the Arab World Institute and former Culture minister of France

Lang, the highest-profile figure in France affected by the files, resigned as president of the Arab World Institute on Feb. 7 after leading the cultural center since 2013. Lang was mentioned more than 600 times in newly released files dating back to 2012 when he was introduced to Epstein by their mutual friend Woody Allen, according to The New York Times. French authorities have said they are investigating reports of financial connections between Lang and Epstein, with the financial prosecutor’s office probing Lang and his daughter, Caroline, on suspicion of “aggravated tax fraud laundering.” Lang has called the allegations against him “baseless,” and said the investigation “will bring much light on to the accusations that are questioning my probity and my honour.” His daughter denies any wrongdoing.

Mona Juul: Norwegian ambassador

Juul resigned on Feb. 8 after Norway’s foreign ministry suspended her earlier in the week. She resigned after reports that her children and husband, Terje Rød-Larsen, were left $10 million in a will written by Epstein two days before his suicide. Juul said in early February that she had contact with Epstein through Rød-Larsen, but also said that she “should have been much more careful.”

Miroslav Lajčák: National security advisor to the prime minister of Slovakia and former president of the UN General Assembly

Lajčák resigned Jan. 31 after serving four Slavic governments. Messages from 2018 show Lajčák discussing women with Epstein, writing, “Why don’t you invite me for these games? I would take the ‘MI’ girl.” Lajčák reportedly told Radio Slovakia, “When I read those messages today, I feel like a fool.” He said in the same interview that he had shown “poor judgment and inappropriate communication … Those messages were nothing more than foolish male egos in action, self-satisfied male banter.” He added, “There were no girls … the fact that someone is communicating with a sexual predator does not make him a sexual predator.”

David Ross: Chair of New York’s School of Visual Arts

Ross, formerly the director of the Whitney Museum, resigned as the chair of the Master of Fine Arts in art practice at SVA on Feb. 3. Ross called Epstein “incredible” after he suggested an exhibit featuring girls and boys aged 14-25 titled “Statutory.” Ross told The New York Times that he regretted being “taken in” by Epstein’s claim that he had been the victim of a political frame-up because of his connection to Bill Clinton. “I continue to be appalled by his crimes and remain deeply concerned for its many victims,” he told the Times.

Joanna Rubinstein: Chair of Sweden for the UN Refugee Agency

Rubinstein announced her resignation on Feb. 2 from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees after documents unveiled a 2012 family visit to Epstein’s private island. In an email, Rubinstein thanked Epstein for “an afternoon in paradise” on behalf of her children and herself. “I was aware of the verdict at the time of the visit. What has subsequently emerged about the extent of the abuse is appalling and something I strongly distance myself from,” Rubinstein told the Swedish newspaper Expressen.

Casey Wasserman: Founder, Chairman and CEO of Wasserman talent agency; Chairman of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Wasserman, owner of a high-profile talent and marketing agency and the chairman of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games, began the process of selling his company after emails between him and Maxwell from over 20 years ago were made public. Following the revelations, several clients, including Grammy winner Chappell Roan, announced they were leaving the agency. Wasserman said he “never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein” and that he’d “become a distraction” in a memo to his staff, which was reported by The Wall Street Journal. The Journal also reported, citing people familiar with the situation, that the committee organizing the LA Olympic Games had voted unanimously to keep Wasserman as chairman.

Steve Tisch: Chairman and co-owner of the New York Giants

The National Football League announced Feb. 2 that it will look into Tisch, a former film producer who has been the Giants’ executive vice president since 2005. Tisch was named over 400 times in the files, with one document showing that he asked Epstein whether women were “pro or civilian.” In a January statement to ESPN, Tisch said, “We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy, and investments.” Tisch added, “I did not take him up on any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.”

Thorbjørn Jagland: Former prime minister of Norway

Jagland was charged with “aggravated corruption” on Feb. 12 after a police probe into his ties with Epstein. Jagland, who served as Norway’s prime minister from 1996 to 1997, is being investigated to see whether “gifts, travel and loans were received in connection with his position,” according to investigators. A 2014 email shows a planned visit for Jagland and his family to Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Jagland’s lawyers have said he “denies all the charges.”

Jes Staley: CEO of Barclays

Staley served as CEO of Barclays from October 2015 until his resignation in late 2021. Staley’s departure followed a probe by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority into his relationship with Epstein. The regulator fined him more than $2 million and permanently banned him from holding a management role in the sector in 2023. In 2020, Staley said, “Obviously I thought I knew him well and I didn’t. For sure, with hindsight with what we know now, I deeply regret having any relationship with Jeffrey.”

Alex Acosta: U.S. Labor secretary

Acosta announced his resignation in a letter to President Donald Trump on July 12, 2019, following controversy over his striking a federal non-prosecution deal with Epstein in 2008 when he was the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Acosta defended that deal — which had required Epstein to plead guilty to Florida state charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution — in six hours of testimony in September to the House Oversight Committee. “I testified for six hours. I’ll let the record speak for itself,” Acosta said after the hearing.

— CNBC’s Garrett Downs contributed to this report.

WATCH: Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick admits visiting Epstein island during family vacation

Top Goldman Sachs lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler said Thursday night that she will leave the investment bank at the end of June, a decision that came after a flurry of news articles highlighting documents detailing the former White House counsel’s often chummy email conversations with the notorious sex predator Jeffrey Epstein.

Goldman, for months, has defended Ruemmler after Congress and then the Department of Justice released emails between her and Epstein, as well as other documents related to investigations of him.

Ruemmler, who has been a key advisor to Goldman CEO David Solomon since joining the bank in 2020, told The Financial Times on Thursday, “I made the determination that the media attention on me, relating to my prior work as a defence attorney, was becoming a distraction.”

The FT first reported the 54-year-old’s decision to leave Goldman.

“Since I joined Goldman Sachs six years ago, it has been my privilege to help oversee the firm’s legal, reputational, and regulatory matters; to enhance our strong risk management processes; and to ensure that we live by our core value of integrity in everything we do,” Ruemmler said in a statement to CNBC.

“My responsibility is to put Goldman Sachs’ interests first,” Ruemmler said.

“Earlier today, I regretfully informed David Solomon of my intention to step down as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Goldman Sachs as of June 30, 2026.”

Solomon, in a statement, said, “Throughout her tenure, Kathy has been an extraordinary general counsel, and we are grateful for her contributions and sound advice on a wide range of consequential legal matters for the firm.”

“As one of the most accomplished professionals in her field, Kathy has also been a mentor and friend to many of our people, and she will be missed. I accepted her resignation, and I respect her decision,” Solomon said.

Her announcement that she will leave Goldman comes nearly a week after The Wall Street Journal reported that Ruemmler was one of three people whom Epstein called on July 6, 2019, after being arrested by federal authorities on child sex trafficking charges at an airport in New Jersey.

The Journal’s report cites a handwritten set of notes by law enforcement about comments Epstein made inside an FBI vehicle after his arrest.

Those notes are among documents released in late January by the Department of Justice, CNBC has confirmed.

Other news articles detailed emails and documents showing how Epstein had made gifts to Ruemmler that included a Hermes bag, and other luxury items, such as a Fendi purse, spa visits, Bergdorf Goodman gift cards and flowers. On one occasion, she effusively thanked him, calling him “Uncle Jeffrey,” one email showed.

Ruemmler was a white-collar criminal defense lawyer at the firm Latham & Watkins during the years she was speaking with Epstein, whom she met in 2014.

An Aug. 14, 2014, email contained in the DOJ’s Epstein files shows how he asked her to represent his client, Bank Edmond de Rothschild.

“They have a justice department problem … like every other swiss bank,” Epstein wrote her.

Ruemmler took the bank as a client for Latham.

Ruemmler has said that she never represented Epstein, who killed himself in a New York federal jail weeks after his 2019 arrest.

Ruemmler’s spokeswoman, Jennifer Connelly, told the Journal for its story last Friday, “These documents are consistent with what Ms. Ruemmler has repeatedly said: She knew Epstein when she was a criminal defense attorney and shared a client with him.”

“She was friendly with him in that context. She had no knowledge of any ongoing criminal conduct on his part,” Connelly said.

Ruemmler previously served as White House counsel under former President Barack Obama.

She is the latest person to lose a high-profile position because of her prior association with Epstein.

On Sunday, Morgan Sweeney resigned as chief of staff to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying he took responsibility for advising Starmer to appoint Peter Mandelson as the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States. Starmer fired Mandelson from that post in September over disclosures about his connection to Epstein.

Last week, Brad Karp, chairman of the major corporate law firm Paul Weiss, resigned from that post after fallout over emails between him and Epstein. Karp is staying at the firm.

“In response to the Epstein emails, a Paul Weiss spokesman previously said, “Mr. Karp never witnessed or participated in any misconduct. Mr. Karp attended two group dinners in New York City and had a small number of social interactions by email, all of which he regrets.”

Karp said he was leaving the chairman’s post because of the distraction of the news stories.

In November, after a congressional committee released emails between Ruemmler and Epstein, Goldman Sachs spokesman Tony Fratto told CNBC, “These emails were private correspondence well before Kathy Ruemmler joined Goldman Sachs.”

“Kathy is an exceptional general counsel and we benefit from her judgment every day,” Fratto said at the time.

Ruemmler has previously told the Journal that she regrets ever knowing Epstein.

Among the new tranche of emails that the DOJ released in late January is one that Ruemmler sent Epstein in March 2019, four months before his arrest.

In that email, she offered advice on how to respond to criticism that he had previously received special treatment and a light punishment in 2008 because of his wealth and political connections when he avoided federal prosecution in exchange for pleading guilty in Florida state court to a charge of soliciting prostitution from an underage girl. 

At the time Epstein sought Ruemmler’s advice, he had been the subject of a series of articles in the Miami Herald that were critical of the decision by federal prosecutors not to file charges against him in 2008. Epstein ended up serving just 13 months in state prison in Florida, but was allowed out to go to his office during the day for much of that time.

The subject line of the email thread, “From wapo,” suggests that Epstein was reaching out to Ruemmler because of an inquiry by The Washington Post about him.

Ruemmler wrote in the email: “Something like: … ‘The criticism is wrong and reflects a fundamental [misunderstanding] of both the facts underlying Mr. Epstein’s case and how it was [prosecuted] by both local and federal authorities.”

“Far from [receiving] a sweetheart deal, Mr. Epstein was subjected to a lengthy, aggressive, [and] highly unusual federal investigation for what were, in essence, local [offenses] of sexual solicitation,” Ruemmler wrote. “He accepted responsibility, served [time and] prison, and paid significant monetary settlements to the victims [involved].”

Ruemmler, in a bracketed section, also suggested saying something like, “But for his wealth, it is hard to imagine that Mr. Epstein … would have received the aggressive treatment that he did from [federal] prosecutors, and he certainly would never have been subjected to the [salacious] and malicious treatment by the media that he continues to receive more than 10 years after the case was resolved.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday refused to rule out the possibility of a criminal investigation of Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Federal Reserve chair, if Warsh ends up refusing to cut interest rates.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, questioned Bessent about a joke Trump made over the weekend about suing Warsh if he does not reduce rates to the president’s liking, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“I think it was a joke, but just in case, this should be an easy one, Mr. Secretary: can you commit right here and now that Trump’s Fed nominee Kevin Warsh will not be sued, will not be investigated by the Department of Justice if he doesn’t cut interest rates exactly the way that Donald Trump wants?” Warren asked. 

“That is up to the president,” Bessent said, as the questioning devolved into cross talk.

U.S. presidents typically leave interest rate decisions up to the Fed, with a metaphorical firewall between the independent board and the White House.

Bessent’s testimony before the Senate committee was his second appearance on Capitol Hill in as many days. On Wednesday, he was grilled by Democrats during a contentious hearing of the House Financial Services Committee. Democrats there pressed Bessent on tariffs and inflation, regulation of cryptocurrencies, and the independence of the Federal Reserve, a hot-button issue.

Trump in recent months has targeted Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over his refusal to lower interest rates to the president’s liking. Powell on Jan. 11 revealed he was the subject of an unprecedented investigation by the Department of Justice relating to cost overruns on the renovation of the Federal Reserve headquarters.

Trump critics have characterized the investigation, which is based in part on testimony Powell gave to the Senate banking committee last year, as a thinly veiled attempt to strong arm the independent central bank.

Committee Chair Tim Scott, R-S.C., said this week he does not believe Powell committed a crime in his testimony. And Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., a member of the committee, has vowed to block the nomination of Warsh, unless the probe into Powell is dropped. Powell’s term as chairman ends in May. Trump, meanwhile, doubled down on the investigation earlier this week.

Warren and her Democratic colleagues on the committee have also called on Scott to hold up Warsh’s nomination until the probes into Powell and Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook — who is being investigated for alleged mortgage fraud — are ended.

“Donald Trump has been trying to take over the Fed for months and months now,” Warren said before Thursday’s hearing. “He’s threatened to fire Jerome Powell. He started a bogus criminal investigation against him. He started a bogus investigation trying to fire Lisa Cook, and now he wants to appoint his man who’s going to do exactly what he says at the Fed.”

“That’s a takeover,” Warren continued.

The Chinese government has condemned a ruling from Panama’s top court, warning the Central American country “will inevitably pay a heavy price” unless it changes course.

The rebuke comes shortly after Panama’s Supreme Court ruled to void Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison’s license to operate ports at either end of the Panama Canal.

The ruling was seen as a major victory for the Trump administration’s security ambitions in the Western Hemisphere, given that the White House has made blocking China’s influence over the critically important waterway one of its top priorities.

In a commentary posted on Tuesday on its WeChat account, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said the “logically flawed” and “utterly ridiculous” ruling was opposed by the Chinese government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government.

“The Panamanian authorities should recognize the situation and correct their course,” the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office said, according to a Google translation.

“If they persist in their own way and remain obstinate, they will inevitably pay a heavy price in terms of politics and economics!”

In a brief statement on Jan. 29, Panama’s top court said the terms under which Panama Ports Co., or PPC, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, runs the Port of Balboa on the Pacific Coast and Cristóbal on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal violated its constitution.

The ruling came around a year after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to seize control of the Panama Canal, saying the waterway was “vital to our country” and claiming, “it’s being operated by China.”

CK Hutchison, for its part, said Wednesday that it had launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama after the country annulled its licenses to operate two Panama Canal ports.

In a statement, the company said PPC would seek “extensive damages” over the ruling, without specifying the damages sought.

Shares of CK Hutchison closed up more than 2% on Wednesday. The stock has climbed over 23% so far this year.

Brad Karp, chairman of the major corporate law firm Paul Weiss, resigned on Wednesday after fallout over emails between him and notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were made public.

“Leading Paul, Weiss for the past 18 years has been the honor of my professional life,” Karp said in a statement. “Recent reporting has created a distraction and has placed a focus on me that is not in the best interests of the firm.”

Scott Barshay, who had been chair of Paul Weiss’ corporate department, was appointed chairman of the firm, effective immediately, according to the firm.

Karp had been at Paul Weiss for more than four decades.

His resignation comes two days after the firm said “Mr. Karp attended two group dinners in New York City and had a small number of social interactions by email” with Epstein, all of which he regrets.”

The emails were among millions of documents related to Epstein that were released last week by the Department of Justice.

Bloomberg reported that one email from Karp asked Epstein for help securing a job for Karp’s son on a Woody Allen movie.

Paul Weiss, in response to that Bloomberg article, had said, “Paul Weiss was retained by Leon Black, then the CEO of the firm’s longtime client Apollo, to negotiate a series of fee disputes with Jeffrey Epstein that spanned several years.”

“The firm was adverse to Epstein, and at no point did Paul Weiss or Brad Karp ever represent him,” the firm said.

The firm’s new chairman, Barshay, in a statement on Wednesday, said Karp made “immense contributions” during his tenure.

“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.”