Emails Highlight the late financier and former Trump strategist Ties
In late 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly Donald Trump's chief strategist, was in the UK preparing for a address at the prestigious Oxford Union.
The event was disrupted by hundreds of protesters, and Bannon, who was due to board a flight that night, told Jeffrey Epstein in an message: "Protesters delayed my talk I doubt I can make the flight we r enroute to heathrow".
Epstein responded: "That. Is a Gulf Air departing at 9:50 with a stop in Bahrain". Bannon replied: "You are an excellent helper".
These messages were released on this week alongside over 20,000 documents from the records of Epstein, the late financier convicted of sex crimes.
The release by the House oversight committee includes an iMessage chat where Bannon's name is withheld. Media outlets has been able to establish his involvement by cross-referencing the timeline, occurrences, and places referenced.
For instance, Epstein talks about chartering a jet from Scotland for the redacted user in the chat, and commends their "address at Oxford". Bannon took part in the News Xchange conference on November 14, 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 served as Trump's key advisers in the lead-up to the 2016 election and during the initial phase of his first administration, but resigned from the White House in August 2017.
He has admitted he was producing a film about Epstein before his death and allegedly has approximately 15 hours of footage. In a live taping of his show earlier this year, he said: "We plan to release the series, the five-part series, 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 seeming to act like a personal assistant.
A few days before the exchange in which Epstein seemed to arranged a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein remarked: "what's it like to have the highest-paid booking agent in history ".
Bannon expressed gratitude: "U r quite capable asst", to which Epstein responded "Therapies. Excluded".
Discussing a trip to "AD" in another message, Epstein assured Bannon: "I'll make sure you're well looked after."
British Affairs Mentioned in Messages
The published communications also reveal Bannon and Epstein talking about British political matters in 2018.
On the same day his address at the Oxford Union, Bannon texted Epstein: "I've gotten pulled into the Brexit issue this day with Farage, Boris and Mogg."
Then, in what appears to be a reference to the UK prime minister, the embattled UK prime minister at the period, he added: "The guys are trying to proceed. may soon…"
Epstein suggested Bannon: "In my view staying as much as you can in the UK. Best-- so others see the dedication of your follow through."
Shortly after, Epstein inquired: "Will Theresa may remain in power". Bannon replied: "I don't see how BUT the people here have no balls" and added "Johnson ; Michael Gove; Rees Mogg; Davis - someone has to step up".
May was finally toppled in 2019 after surviving multiple attempts of lack of support in late 2018.
A representative for Reform UK told the BBC: "Nigel Farage has not been in a meeting with Steve Bannon, Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is nothing to suggest such a meeting occurred.
The Congress will vote next week on whether the justice department should release all its records concerning its probe into Epstein, who passed away in prison in 2019.
Attention in Epstein's associations with influential individuals was reignited this week after the publication of over 20,000 pages from his archives.
Some of those referenced Trump, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing. The president was a friend of Epstein's for a long time, but says they fell out in the early 2000s, a couple of years prior to Epstein was initially charged.