Emails Uncover the late financier and Steve Bannon Relationship
In November 2018, Steve Bannon, previously Donald Trump's chief strategist, visited the UK preparing for a address at the Oxford Union.
The event was disrupted by numerous protesters, and Bannon, who was due to board a flight that night, told Jeffrey Epstein in an email: "Protesters slowed down my talk don't think I can make the plane we are heading to heathrow".
Epstein replied: "That. Is a gulf air departing at 9:50 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon replied: "U r an amazing assistant".
These exchanges were released on Wednesday alongside over 20,000 pages from the records of Epstein, the deceased financier convicted of sex crimes.
The disclosure by the House oversight committee includes an text conversation where Bannon's name is withheld. Media outlets managed to establish his involvement by matching the timeline, events, and places referenced.
For instance, Epstein discusses chartering a plane from the UK for the redacted user in the chat, and commends their "address at Oxford". Bannon participated in the Edinburgh conference on 14 November, and delivered the speech at the Oxford Union on November 16.
Bannon, who is not accused of any misconduct, did not reply on the request for comment.
'I'll make sure you're well looked after'
Bannon was one of the president's key advisers in the run up to the 2016 election and in the early days of his presidency, but resigned from the administration in 2017.
He has acknowledged he was making a film about Epstein prior to his death and allegedly has around 15 hours of recordings. In a recording of his show recently, he stated: "We're going to release the series, the multi-part documentary, in the coming year - at the start of next year."
But the newly released documents suggest Bannon's relationship with Epstein went further than being his biographer, with the convicted paedophile occasionally appearing to serve like a aide.
A few days prior to the conversation in which Epstein seemed to booked a private plane for Bannon, Epstein remarked: "what's it like to have the most highly paid travel agent in the world ".
Bannon thanked him: "U r pretty good asst", to which Epstein responded "Massages. Excluded".
Discussing a visit to "AD" in another message, Epstein told Bannon: "I'll make sure you are well looked after."
British Affairs Discussed in Messages
The published messages also show Bannon and Epstein talking about UK politics in that year.
Earlier on the day of his speech at the Oxford Union, Bannon texted Epstein: "I became involved in the EU exit issue this morning with Farage, Boris and Rees Mogg."
Then, in what appears to be a allusion to the UK prime minister, the struggling UK prime minister at the period, he added: "The guys are trying to move on. May today / tomorrow…"
Epstein suggested Bannon: "I think remaining as much as you can uk. Best-- so people get the commitment of your follow through."
Soon after, Epstein inquired: "Will Theresa May survive". Bannon answered: "It seems unlikely BUT the guys over here have no balls" and noted "Boris ; Gove; Rees Mogg; David Davis - somebody has to take charge".
Theresa May was eventually removed in May 2019 after surviving multiple attempts of lack of support in December 2018.
A spokesman for Reform UK told the BBC: "Nigel Farage has not been in a gathering with Bannon, Rees-Mogg and Johnson." And there is nothing to suggest such a meeting occurred.
The Congress will vote soon on whether the Department of Justice should make public all its files concerning its probe into Epstein, who died in prison in that year.
Interest in Epstein's associations with powerful figures was reignited this week after the release of over 20,000 pages from his archives.
A portion of those mentioned the former president, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. The president was a friend of Epstein's for years, but says they parted ways in the early 2000s, a couple of years prior to Epstein was first arrested.