Emails Uncover the late financier and former Trump strategist Ties
In late 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly Donald Trump's chief strategist, visited the UK preparing for a speech at the Oxford Union.
The event was interrupted by hundreds of protesters, and Bannon, who was due to board a flight that night, told Jeffrey Epstein in an message: "Protesters slowed down speech don't think I can make the flight we r enroute to heathrow".
Epstein responded: "That. Is a gulf air departing at 9:50 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon replied: "U r an excellent helper".
These exchanges were released on this week together with more than 20,000 documents from the estate of Epstein, the deceased convicted sex offender.
The release by the Congressional committee contains an text conversation where Bannon's identity is withheld. Media outlets has been able to establish his involvement by cross-referencing the dates, events, and locations referenced.
For instance, Epstein discusses chartering a plane from the UK for the redacted user in the chat, and offers praise their "address at Oxford". Bannon participated in the News Xchange conference on November 14, and gave the speech at the Oxford Union on November 16.
Bannon, who faces no allegations of any misconduct, declined to comment on the request for comment.
Epstein's Assurance to Bannon
Bannon was one of the president's closest aides in the lead-up to the 2016 election and in the early days of his first administration, but stepped down from the White House in August 2017.
He has admitted he was producing a film about Epstein before his passing and allegedly has approximately 15 hours of recordings. In a recording of his podcast recently, he stated: "We plan to release the film, the five-part series, in the coming year - early next year."
But the newly released materials indicate Bannon's connection with Epstein went further than being his biographer, with the disgraced financier occasionally seeming to act like a personal assistant.
A short time prior to the exchange in which Epstein appeared to have booked a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein said: "what's it like to have the most highly paid booking agent in history ".
Bannon thanked him: "U r pretty good asst", to which Epstein replied "Therapies. Excluded".
Discussing a trip to "Abu Dhabi" in another message, Epstein assured Bannon: "I will ensure you are well looked after."
UK Politics Discussed in Exchanges
The published communications also show Bannon and Epstein discussing UK politics in 2018.
Earlier on the same day his address at the Oxford Union, Bannon texted Epstein: "I've gotten pulled into the Brexit thing this day with Farage, Johnson and Mogg."
Then, in what seems like a allusion to the UK prime minister, the embattled UK prime minister at the period, he added: "The guys are trying to proceed. may today / tomorrow…"
Epstein suggested Bannon: "In my view staying as much as you can uk. Ideal- so others get the dedication of your follow through."
Soon after, Epstein inquired: "Can Theresa may remain in power". Bannon replied: "It seems unlikely however the people over here have no balls" and noted "Boris ; Michael Gove; Jacob Rees-Mogg; Davis - someone has to step up".
May was eventually toppled in May 2019 after withstanding two votes of no confidence in December 2018.
A spokesman for the political party informed media: "Farage has never been in a meeting with Bannon, Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is nothing to suggest that encounter took place.
The US House of Representatives will vote soon on whether the Department of Justice should make public all its files concerning its investigation into Epstein, who died in jail in 2019.
Attention in Epstein's associations with influential individuals was renewed recently after the release of more than 20,000 pages from his archives.
Some of those mentioned the former president, who has consistently rejected any wrongdoing. The president was a friend of Epstein's for years, but says they parted ways in the early 2000s, two years before Epstein was initially charged.