Karim Wade: Nine Years Inside Epstein's Senegalese Laboratory

November 13, 2010. Karim Wade, son of Senegal's president, emailed Epstein's office: "I tried to call you at the request of Sutan Bin Sulayem of Dubai World to meet with Jeffrey Epstain" (vol00009-efta00559607-pdf-0). Epstein's staff sent back an address and a 5:30 p.m. slot.

Three days after the meeting, Wade wrote: "I was very happy to meet you. Have no doubt that we will have fun" (EFTA02416717-0). Epstein replied with a full pitch for Senegal: "making senegal a banking center / intemet server , base." The list ran to internet gambling, mobile phone as bank account, nuclear power. He had already "spoke to gates group regarding nuclear power" (vol00009-efta00899072-pdf-1).

May 2011. Epstein told Wade he had spoken to JPMorgan: "I spoke to JPM , they think we should add high frequency sophisticated trading to the bank" (EFTA01804948-0). In June: "Gates now wants to send a team to you to organize municipal finance for poor related projects" (EFTA01863799-0). Sultan lined up a New York weekend for the investor meeting: "on the 20th sultan will come friday night to stay, it will be fun" (EFTA01865356-0). Epstein had known Wade seven months.

April 26, 2011. Epstein sent a one-line email: "desmond ,meet karem, karem, desmond" (EFTA02538527-0). Desmond Shum, based in Beijing. Shum answered within hours: "I am happy to fly down to see you in SH" (EFTA01865779-0). Ten days later Epstein himself was on the plane: "arriving in Beijing monday morning and will stay till following friday then back through Paris" (EFTA01809435-0). The same email forwarded Shum's mobile number to Wade.

Karim Wade was arrested April 15, 2013. Charges of illicitly accumulating $240 million. By August he was in Rebeuss, Dakar's main detention facility. Epstein didn't contact the prison. He contacted Rasseck Bourgi, a Paris fixer, and asked whether Nina Keita, Ouattara's niece, could visit. Rasseck sent back the procedure and the two lawyers to retain: Maître Seydou Diagne or Maître Demba Bathily (vol00009-efta00966541-pdf-2).

Five months later Epstein was talking to Diagne directly. "karim asked that we connect" (EFTA01945668-0). They moved to Viber. By May 2014 Diagne sent his bank details: Attijariwafa Bank, Dakar, routing through Casablanca (EFTA01927653-0). Diagne confirmed receipt with a voucher (EFTA02705431-0).

July 10, 2015. Epstein wrote to Thorbjorn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe and chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee: "my friend karim wade, son of the former president of senegal, was minister there and put on trial for corruption, the un said the trial was a farce. and as he has a french passport i wondered if he could bring his case to your court" (vol00009-efta00851804-pdf-0). Jagland answered on July 25: "Hi Jeffrey, all of a sudden I discovered that I've haven't replied. Yes, given the fact that Karim has a French passport, it should be possible" (vol00009-efta00850487-pdf-0).

Two months later the Washington track opened. On September 30, 2015, Wade's prison assistant Elisabeth Feliho asked Epstein to fund "a US Legal/lobby firm based in DC", Nelson Mullins, $100,000 for three months (vol00009-efta00844576-pdf-0). Nina Keita seconded the ask on October 5: "he really, really needs your help... A lot of his friends have disappeared" (vol00009-efta00698766-pdf-0). Epstein took the call the next day: "i am speaking to the wash firm tomorrow when i return to new York" (vol00009-efta00844308-pdf-0). The fee landed on paper December 14: "a fee of $50,000 per month for 3 months of work paid quarterly in advance which would be $150,000" (vol00009-efta00838871-pdf-5).

Bob Crowe at Nelson Mullins worked the State Department and the Hill. April 2016: "I had a good meeting at State today. My contact is working behind the scenes to help put pressure on Macky Sall and his administration. Also our Ambassador is helping. We are also working with State to get Wade's detention highlighted in the FY 17 Human Rights Report for Senegal" (EFTA02394840-0). The first public placement came in March, when former House Armed Services chair Senator Ron Dellums published declarations in The Hill. The French translation ran in the major Senegalese newspapers days later. Crowe escalated to House Democratic leadership: "I am having dinner tonight with Jim Clyburn, Assistant Democratic Leader in the House and prominent member of the black caucus" (vol00009-efta00639067-pdf-0).

June 15, 2016. Macky Sall told the khalife des mourides at Touba: "J'ai décidé de le libérer et je ne compte pas revenir sur ma décision" (vol00009-efta00825650-pdf-0). Public coverage ran the headline that Wade was rejecting the pardon. Epstein had a different read. He wrote to Nina Keita that night: "i was told he initilaly refused , but two hours ago they sent a message that he now agrees to leave prison" (vol00009-efta00825658-pdf-0). Crowe the next morning: "He has told my friends high up at State that he was going to do it. They have been putting pressure on him!" (vol00009-efta00825493-pdf-0). Eight days later Sultan emailed: "Karim was released from jail last night" (EFTA02459411-0). The next day: "he was flown directly to Doha on the night of his release" (EFTA02339435-0).

By September 2016 Wade was back to business from Doha: "Yes still in Doha. Are u still in contact with ur LNG friend" (EFTA01744455-0). He specified: "Yep the norvegian guy with the fleet of LNG ships" (vol00009-efta00817072-pdf-0). Three years in prison, direct return to the LNG deal. On November 29, 2016, Epstein made the introduction he had been trying to make since 2011. He emailed Larry Summers: "larry, karim, karim - larry, larry will be in doha on wed, i think you two would enjoy meeting" (HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_026028-0). Summers wrote back: "Who is the guy you have set me up with?" Epstein answered with a brief: "Karim Wade. is the son of the president of Senegal. ( they just found GAS offshore ). He is well educated and one of the most important figures in west africa. however full disclosure, he was put in jail to remove him from running against the current president He is in qatar awaiting his political return to power which is almost guaranteed" (HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_026028-3). Summers's reply that evening: "Always quiet advice to anybody who can use it. Try always discreet. If u become associated publicly w something the reputations converge" (HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_026028-4).

In March 2019, four months before Epstein's arrest, he sent his lawyer Darren Indyke a list titled "Numbers in case of trouble": "Miro. Terje lang ruemmler rothschild Jagland jabor" (EFTA02637447-0). Thorbjorn Jagland, the Council of Europe secretary-general who had answered the Wade ECHR question four years earlier, was one of seven names.