Haitian promoter linked to Epstein charity, who visited his NYC home, denies wrongdoing

Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing Haitian Times series examining how Haiti appears in the Epstein files. Haiti is mentioned more than 400 times across the released Epstein files. As we continue examining the records, we will publish additional reporting, context and analysis relevant to Haiti and the Haitian Diaspora.

NEW YORK — Unik Ernest, a prominent corporate events organizer whose Haiti nonprofit received a $25,000 donation from Jeffrey Epstein’s foundation, denied any wrongdoing Tuesday. In a statement to The Haitian Times about their relationship, Ernest, co-founder of the Edeyo Foundation, said he “promptly returned” the donation after his board objected and that he never visited Epstein’s island or traveled with him. 

Ernest did not answer questions about visits he made to the billionaire sex offender’s New York City home two years after a 2012 press release publicly named the Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation as a financial contributor to Edeyo’s Bel-Air school project. Ernest denied that characterization in emails released by the Department of Justice and reviewed by The Haitian Times, prompting a dispute between the two men. 

“Mr. Ernest has never committed any crime, nor has he engaged in any wrongdoing in connection with Jeffrey Epstein,” the statement reads. “Any suggestion to the contrary is false and without foundation. Mr. Epstein, like many individuals within extended social and cultural circles in Manhattan over the past thirty years, sought access to certain gatherings organized by Mr. Ernest. He did not attend any of Mr. Ernest’s events. 

“Mere acquaintance or peripheral contact does not constitute involvement in, endorsement of, or association with any improper conduct,” the statement continued.

Donation to Edeyo 

The records show that Epstein sought to reinvent his image through philanthropic support worldwide. One such effort involved a donation to a Haiti-based nonprofit led by Ernest.

The Edeyo Foundation — described on its site as a New York City–based nonprofit “dedicated to improving the future for children in Haiti through education” — received $25,000 on Nov. 1, 2011.  It’s unclear whether the donation was intended to support the school project in Bel Air directly.

In Ernest’s statement, the timeline varies from what the email chains show.

Ernest says Edeyo received the donation in June 2012.

“Upon receipt of the donation, Mr. Ernest immediately consulted with the Foundation’s financial officer,” the promoter’s statement reads. “After becoming aware of public allegations that had surfaced at that time, it was determined that accepting the contribution would be inconsistent with the Foundation’s mission and values. The check was promptly returned.”

However, emails reviewed by The Haitian Times offer a more detailed account of the events that led to the return of the donation.

In an email dated Nov. 1, 2011, Ernest received a message from a redacted sender asking him to send a letter “confirming receipt of the donation” to an address in St. Thomas — two miles from Little Saint James, the island in the U.S. Virgin Islands that served as Epstein’s primary residence.

On Nov. 2, 2011, Vanessa Delgado, writing on behalf of Ernest, requested from a member of Epstein’s team the “full name of the organization” making the donation, along with supporting documents, if it was a foundation, as part of Edeyo’s vetting process for donations above $10,000, according to email records.

Seven months later, Ernest replies to the Nov. 1, 2011 email, now addressed to Epstein and a redacted recipient, that he was “personally saddened and hurt” to get hold of a release publicizing Epstein’s support of Edeyo’s school project in Bel-Air.

“This is not a responsible thing to do, especially when I’ve made clear to Jeff that the board [has] suggested that we don’t use the funds,” Ernest said in a June 22, 2012, email. 

He then asks “Doris,” in the same email, to find out whether the check was cashed and asks the redacted recipient to retract the story. In 2012, Doris Pradieu served as the executive director of Edeyo.

“We want to maintain a very transparent organization. We cannot mislead folks by saying we are doing things that’s not true,” Ernest continues in a follow-up email the same day. 

“Unfortunately both your foundation and mine are both public,” Epstein replied. “This service follows the foundation. I was not even aware that you had cashed the check…after our last conversation. Sorry.”

About three hours later, Epstein emailed Ernest, confirming that he had asked the service to remove the story and suggesting he should “check whether the funds were cashed” and, if so, “should return the money so this does not appear again on the public records.”

Three days later, an email from Ernest to Epstein, Richard Kahn – Epstein’s longtime accountant – and Pradieu, indicates that he had the check to return to Epstein’s staff.

“I have the check with me to return to your staff Jeffrey. Please advise when should I send it,” Ernest wrote on Jan. 25, 2012.

Questions remain about a deeper relationship with Epstein

Between January and May 2012, Ernest’s and Epstein’s assistants scheduled and rescheduled meetings for Ernest to visit Epstein at the sex offender’s townhouse at 9 E. 71st St., between Madison and Fifth avenues. On at least one occasion, Ernest wrote that he was on his way.

Ernest’s name appears more than 600 times in email exchanges between 2011 and 2014 involving Epstein and his associates. The correspondence focuses primarily on meetings, travel and matters related to Haiti, Edeyo and a “job proposition” tied to a black wealth initiative. 

Ernest visited Epstein at the billionaire’s Upper East Side home multiple times in 2012 and late 2014, according to the emails. The topics in 2014 varied and included meetings or proposed meetings to discuss how Epstein might serve as a “conduit” for Black wealth in Silicon Valley and connect Ernest with the niece of Ivory Coast’s then-president.

Despite the 2012 dispute over the donation, Ernest reached out to Epstein after a seemingly two-year hiatus in their relationship. 

“It has been a minute since I last saw you. I’m just returning from Haiti and was wondering when are you available to get together,” Ernest said in an October 2014 email to Epstein. 

A month later, they made plans to meet.

“I’m in town all week,” Epstein responded.

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