Overview:
Emails reviewed by The Haitian Instances present that the Edeyo Basis returned a donation from The Jeffrey Epstein VI Basis after objecting to a public announcement concerning the present to construct “the most important faculty in Haiti” after the 2010 earthquake. The information reviewed additionally present that Ernest reached out to Epstein in 2014 to debate a possible occasion that includes Black celebrities and rich contacts to launch a presence in Silicon Valley.
Editor’s notice: This story is a part of an ongoing Haitian Instances sequence analyzing how Haiti seems within the Epstein information. Haiti is talked about greater than 400 instances throughout the launched Epstein information. As we proceed analyzing the information, we are going to publish extra reporting, context and evaluation related to Haiti and the Haitian Diaspora.
NEW YORK — Unik Ernest, a outstanding company occasions organizer whose Haiti nonprofit acquired a $25,000 donation from Jeffrey Epstein’s basis, denied any wrongdoing Tuesday. In a press release to The Haitian Instances about their relationship, Ernest, co-founder of the Edeyo Basis, stated he “promptly returned” the donation after his board objected and that he by no means visited Epstein’s island or traveled with him.
Ernest didn’t reply questions on visits he made to the billionaire intercourse offender’s New York Metropolis residence two years after a 2012 press launch publicly named the Jeffrey Epstein VI Basis as a monetary contributor to Edeyo’s Bel-Air faculty undertaking. Ernest denied that characterization in emails launched by the Division of Justice and reviewed by The Haitian Instances, prompting a dispute between the 2 males.
“Mr. Ernest has by no means dedicated any crime, nor has he engaged in any wrongdoing in reference to Jeffrey Epstein,” the assertion reads. “Any suggestion on the contrary is fake and with out basis. Mr. Epstein, like many people inside prolonged social and cultural circles in Manhattan over the previous thirty years, sought entry to sure gatherings organized by Mr. Ernest. He didn’t attend any of Mr. Ernest’s occasions.
“Mere acquaintance or peripheral contact doesn’t represent involvement in, endorsement of, or affiliation with any improper conduct,” the assertion continued.
Donation to Edeyo
The information present that Epstein sought to reinvent his picture by philanthropic assist worldwide. One such effort concerned a donation to a Haiti-based nonprofit led by Ernest.
The Edeyo Foundation — described on its web site as a New York Metropolis–primarily based nonprofit “devoted to bettering the longer term for kids in Haiti by schooling” — acquired $25,000 on Nov. 1, 2011. It’s unclear whether or not the donation was meant to assist the college undertaking in Bel Air instantly.
In Ernest’s assertion, the timeline varies from what the e-mail chains present.
Ernest says Edeyo acquired the donation in June 2012.
“Upon receipt of the donation, Mr. Ernest instantly consulted with the Basis’s monetary officer,” the promoter’s assertion reads. “After changing into conscious of public allegations that had surfaced at the moment, it was decided that accepting the contribution could be inconsistent with the Basis’s mission and values. The verify was promptly returned.”
Nevertheless, emails reviewed by The Haitian Instances supply a extra detailed account of the occasions that led to the return of the donation.
In an e mail dated Nov. 1, 2011, Ernest acquired a message from a redacted sender asking him to ship a letter “confirming receipt of the donation” to an deal with in St. Thomas — two miles from Little Saint James, the island within the U.S. Virgin Islands that served as Epstein’s major residence.
On Nov. 2, 2011, Vanessa Delgado, writing on behalf of Ernest, requested from a member of Epstein’s staff the “full identify of the group” making the donation, together with supporting paperwork, if it was a basis, as a part of Edeyo’s vetting course of for donations above $10,000, in response to e mail information.
Seven months later, Ernest replies to the Nov. 1, 2011 e mail, now addressed to Epstein and a redacted recipient, that he was “personally saddened and harm” to pay money for a launch publicizing Epstein’s assist of Edeyo’s faculty undertaking in Bel-Air.
“This isn’t a accountable factor to do, particularly once I’ve made clear to Jeff that the board [has] recommended that we don’t use the funds,” Ernest stated in a June 22, 2012, e mail.
He then asks “Doris,” in the identical e mail, to seek out out whether or not the verify was cashed and asks the redacted recipient to retract the story. In 2012, Doris Pradieu served as the chief director of Edeyo.
“We need to preserve a really clear group. We can not mislead of us by saying we’re doing issues that’s not true,” Ernest continues in a follow-up e mail the identical day.
“Sadly each your basis and mine are each public,” Epstein replied. “This service follows the muse. I used to be not even conscious that you simply had cashed the verify…after our final dialog. Sorry.”
About three hours later, Epstein emailed Ernest, confirming that he had requested the service to take away the story and suggesting he ought to “verify whether or not the funds have been cashed” and, if that’s the case, “ought to return the cash so this doesn’t seem once more on the general public information.”
Three days later, an e mail from Ernest to Epstein, Richard Kahn – Epstein’s longtime accountant – and Pradieu, signifies that he had the verify to return to Epstein’s workers.
“I’ve the verify with me to return to your workers Jeffrey. Please advise when ought to I ship it,” Ernest wrote on Jan. 25, 2012.
Questions stay a couple of deeper relationship with Epstein
Between January and Could 2012, Ernest’s and Epstein’s assistants scheduled and rescheduled conferences for Ernest to go to Epstein on the intercourse offender’s townhouse at 9 E. 71st St., between Madison and Fifth avenues. On no less than one event, Ernest wrote that he was on his means.
Ernest’s identify seems greater than 600 instances in e mail exchanges between 2011 and 2014 involving Epstein and his associates. The correspondence focuses totally on conferences, journey and issues associated to Haiti, Edeyo and a “job proposition” tied to a black wealth initiative.
Ernest visited Epstein on the billionaire’s Higher East Facet residence a number of instances in 2012 and late 2014, in response to the emails. The subjects in 2014 different and included conferences or proposed conferences to debate how Epstein would possibly function a “conduit” for Black wealth in Silicon Valley and join Ernest with the niece of Ivory Coast’s then-president.
Regardless of the 2012 dispute over the donation, Ernest reached out to Epstein after a seemingly two-year hiatus of their relationship.
“It has been a minute since I final noticed you. I’m simply coming back from Haiti and was questioning when are you accessible to get collectively,” Ernest stated in an October 2014 e mail to Epstein.
A month later, they made plans to satisfy.
“I’m on the town all week,” Epstein responded.