Correspondence Reveal the late financier and former Trump strategist Relationship
In late 2018, Steve Bannon, previously Donald Trump's chief strategist, was in the UK to deliver a address at the prestigious Oxford Union.
The speech was disrupted by hundreds of protesters, and Bannon, scheduled to board a flight that evening, informed Jeffrey Epstein in an email: "Protesters slowed down my talk don't think I can make the plane we are heading to the airport".
Epstein replied: "That. Is a Gulf Air departing at 9:50 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon answered: "U r an amazing assistant".
These exchanges were released on Wednesday together with over 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 name is redacted. The BBC has been able to establish his involvement by matching the dates, occurrences, and places mentioned.
For example, Epstein talks about arranging a plane from Scotland for the redacted user in the messages, and offers praise their "address at Oxford". Bannon took part in the News Xchange conference on 14 November, and gave the speech at the Oxford on November 16.
Bannon, who is not accused of any misconduct, declined to comment on the inquiry.
Epstein's Assurance to Bannon
Bannon served as Trump's key advisers in the run up to the 2016 election and in the early days of his first administration, but stepped down from the administration in 2017.
He has admitted he was making a film about Epstein before his death and allegedly has around 15 hours of recordings. In a live taping of his podcast recently, he stated: "We're going to release the film, the multi-part documentary, next year - at the start of next year."
But the newly released materials indicate Bannon's connection with Epstein went further than documenting his life, with the disgraced financier occasionally seeming to act like a aide.
A short time before the conversation in which Epstein seemed to booked a private plane for Bannon, Epstein said: "what's it like to have the highest-paid travel agent in the world ".
Bannon thanked him: "You are quite capable assistant", to which Epstein replied "Therapies. Excluded".
Discussing a trip to "AD" in a separate text, Epstein told Bannon: "I will ensure you're taken care of."
UK Politics Mentioned in Messages
The released messages also show Bannon and Epstein talking about British political matters in 2018.
On the same day his address at the Oxford, Bannon messaged Epstein: "I became involved in the Brexit issue this morning with Farage, Johnson and Mogg."
Then, in what appears to be a allusion to the UK prime minister, the embattled UK prime minister at the time, he continued: "The guys are trying to move on. May today / tomorrow…"
Epstein advised Bannon: "In my view remaining as much as you can uk. Best-- so people get the dedication of your follow-up."
Shortly after, Epstein asked: "Will Theresa may survive". Bannon answered: "It seems unlikely however the people over here have no balls" and noted "Boris ; Gove; Rees Mogg; Davis - someone has to take charge".
Theresa May was finally removed in May 2019 after surviving two votes of lack of support in December 2018.
A representative for the political party informed media: "Nigel Farage has not been in a meeting with Bannon, Jacob Rees Mogg and Johnson." And there is no evidence such a meeting occurred.
The US House of Representatives will vote next week on whether the Department of Justice should make public all its files related to its probe into Epstein, who passed away in prison in 2019.
Attention in Epstein's relationships with influential individuals was reignited this week after the publication of over 20,000 documents from his archives.
Some of those mentioned the former president, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. The leader was a acquaintance of Epstein's for years, but claims they parted ways in the 2000s, two years before Epstein was first arrested.