Son of former Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade and former government minister whose portfolio included airlines, infrastructure, and energy. Years of correspondence with Epstein documented in EFTA files show Epstein's involvement in Wade's legal troubles. Convicted of corruption in 2015 and jailed in Senegal, Nina Keita ; Epstein's Ivory Coast-connected fixer ; solicited Epstein's financial assistance to engage United States lobbying firms on Wade's behalf.
Records indicate Epstein transferred $100,000 toward those lobbying efforts. By mid-June 2016, emails suggest pressure was applied through the U.S. State Department, and Wade was released from prison on June 24, 2016, subsequently going into exile in Qatar.
The episode illustrates Epstein's reach into Francophone African politics and his willingness to deploy financial resources to influence foreign judicial outcomes.