Emails Reveal Jeffrey Epstein and Steve Bannon Connection
In late 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly Donald Trump's chief strategist, was in the UK to deliver a speech at the Oxford Union.
The speech was interrupted by hundreds of demonstrators, and Bannon, scheduled to travel that night, informed Jeffrey Epstein in an message: "Activists slowed down my talk don't think I can catch the plane we r enroute to heathrow".
Epstein responded: "That. Is a gulf air that leaves at 9:50 with a stop in Bahrain". Bannon answered: "You are an amazing assistant".
These exchanges were released on Wednesday together with more than 20,000 pages from the estate of Epstein, the deceased convicted sex offender.
The release by the House oversight committee contains an text conversation where Bannon's identity is redacted. Media outlets has been able to confirm his identity by matching the dates, events, and locations referenced.
For instance, Epstein talks about arranging a plane from Scotland for the redacted user in the messages, and commends their "Oxford speech". Bannon participated in the News Xchange conference on 14 November, and gave the speech at the Oxford Union two days later.
Bannon, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, did not reply on the inquiry.
'I'll make sure you're well looked after'
Bannon served as the president's closest advisers in the run up to the 2016 election and in the early days of his first administration, but resigned from the administration in 2017.
He has admitted he was making a documentary about Epstein prior to his passing and allegedly has around 15 hours of recordings. In a live taping of his podcast earlier this year, he stated: "We're going to release the film, the multi-part documentary, 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 at times seeming to act like a personal assistant.
A short time prior to the exchange in which Epstein seemed to booked a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein remarked: "what's it like to have the most highly paid travel agent in history ".
Bannon thanked him: "You are pretty good asst", to which Epstein replied "Therapies. Not Included".
Discussing a visit to "AD" in a separate text, Epstein assured Bannon: "I'll make sure you're well looked after."
British Affairs Mentioned in Exchanges
The published messages also show Bannon and Epstein talking about UK politics in that year.
Earlier on the day of his address at the Oxford, Bannon texted Epstein: "I became involved in the Brexit issue this day with Nigel, Johnson and Rees Mogg."
Then, in what appears to be a allusion to Theresa May, the struggling UK prime minister at the time, he continued: "The guys are trying to move on. May today / tomorrow…"
Epstein suggested Bannon: "In my view remaining as long as you can in the UK. Ideal- so others see the commitment of your follow through."
Soon after, Epstein inquired: "Can Theresa may survive". Bannon replied: "It seems unlikely BUT the guys here have no balls" and added "Boris ; Michael Gove; Rees Mogg; David Davis - somebody has to step up".
May was finally toppled in 2019 after withstanding multiple attempts of no confidence in late 2018.
A representative for the political party told media: "Nigel Farage has not been in a gathering with Bannon, Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is no evidence such a meeting occurred.
The US House of Representatives will decide soon on whether the Department of Justice should release all its records related to its investigation into Epstein, who died in prison in that year.
Attention in Epstein's relationships with influential individuals was renewed recently after the publication of over 20,000 documents from his archives.
A portion of those mentioned the former president, who has consistently rejected any impropriety. The leader was a acquaintance of Epstein's for a long time, but claims they fell out in the 2000s, a couple of years before Epstein was first arrested.