Emails Reveal Jeffrey Epstein and former Trump strategist Relationship
In November 2018, Steve Bannon, previously a top aide to Donald Trump, visited the UK preparing for a address at the prestigious Oxford Union.
The event was disrupted by hundreds of protesters, and Bannon, scheduled to board a flight that evening, informed Jeffrey Epstein in an email: "Activists delayed my talk don't think I can catch the plane we r enroute to the airport".
Epstein responded: "There. Is a gulf air that leaves at 950 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon replied: "U r an excellent helper".
These messages were published on Wednesday alongside more than 20,000 documents from the records of Epstein, the late financier convicted of sex crimes.
The disclosure by the House oversight committee contains an text conversation where Bannon's identity is withheld. The BBC has been able to establish his identity by matching the timeline, events, and locations mentioned.
For instance, Epstein talks about chartering a jet from Scotland for the unnamed individual in the chat, and offers praise their "Oxford speech". Bannon participated in the News Xchange conference on 14 November, and delivered the speech at the Oxford on November 16.
Bannon, who is not accused of any misconduct, did not reply on the inquiry.
Epstein's Assurance to Bannon
Bannon served as 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 administration in August 2017.
He has admitted he was producing a documentary about Epstein prior to his passing and allegedly has approximately 15 hours of footage. In a live taping of his podcast recently, he said: "We're going to publish the series, the five-part series, next year - early next year."
But the recently disclosed documents suggest Bannon's connection with Epstein went further than documenting his life, with the convicted paedophile occasionally seeming to act like a personal assistant.
A short time before the exchange in which Epstein appeared to have arranged a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein remarked: "what's it like to have the highest-paid booking agent in the world ".
Bannon thanked him: "U r quite capable assistant", to which Epstein responded "Massages. Excluded".
Discussing a trip to "Abu Dhabi" in another message, Epstein told Bannon: "I will ensure you're taken care of."
UK Politics Mentioned in Messages
The released communications also reveal Bannon and Epstein discussing British political matters in 2018.
On the day of his address at the Oxford Union, Bannon messaged Epstein: "I've gotten pulled into the EU exit thing this morning with Nigel, Boris and Mogg."
Then, in what seems like a allusion to Theresa May, the embattled UK prime minister at the period, he continued: "The guys are attempting to move on. May today / tomorrow…"
Epstein suggested Bannon: "In my view staying as much as you can in the UK. Best-- so others get the dedication of your follow-up."
Soon after, Epstein inquired: "Can Theresa May remain in power". Bannon answered: "It seems unlikely BUT the guys here have no balls" and noted "Johnson ; Gove; Rees Mogg; David Davis - somebody has to take charge".
May was eventually toppled in 2019 after surviving multiple attempts of no confidence in late 2018.
A spokesman for Reform UK informed media: "Nigel Farage has not been in a meeting with Bannon, Jacob Rees Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is nothing to suggest such a meeting occurred.
The Congress will vote soon on whether the Department of Justice should release all its records concerning its probe into Epstein, who passed away in jail in that year.
Attention in Epstein's relationships with powerful figures was reignited this week after the publication of more than 20,000 documents from his estate.
A portion of those mentioned the former president, who has repeatedly rejected any wrongdoing. The president was a friend of Epstein's for a long time, but claims they fell out in the early 2000s, two years before Epstein was first arrested.