Correspondence Reveal the late financier and former Trump strategist Connection
In November 2018, Steve Bannon, previously Donald Trump's chief strategist, was in the UK to deliver a address at the Oxford Union.
The speech was interrupted by hundreds of demonstrators, and Bannon, who was due to travel that night, informed Jeffrey Epstein in an email: "Activists delayed speech I doubt I can make the flight 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 published on Wednesday alongside more than 20,000 pages from the estate 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 redacted. Media outlets managed to confirm his identity by cross-referencing the timeline, events, and locations mentioned.
For example, Epstein talks about chartering a jet from the UK for the redacted user in the messages, and commends their "Oxford speech". Bannon participated in the News Xchange conference on 14 November, and delivered the talk at the Oxford two days later.
Bannon, who faces no allegations of any wrongdoing, did not reply on the inquiry.
'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 stepped down from the White House in August 2017.
He has admitted he was producing a documentary about Epstein prior to his passing and reportedly has approximately 15 hours of recordings. In a live taping of his show earlier this year, he said: "We plan to publish the series, the multi-part documentary, next year - early next year."
But the newly released materials indicate Bannon's relationship with Epstein extended than being his biographer, with the disgraced financier occasionally appearing to serve like a personal assistant.
A few days prior to the conversation in which Epstein seemed to booked a private plane for Bannon, Epstein said: "what's it like to have the most highly paid travel agent in the world ".
Bannon expressed gratitude: "U r pretty good 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."
British Affairs Discussed in Exchanges
The published communications also reveal Bannon and Epstein talking about British political matters in 2018.
On the day of his speech at the Oxford Union, Bannon messaged Epstein: "I became involved in the EU exit issue this morning with Farage, Johnson and Mogg."
Then, in what appears to be a reference to the UK prime minister, the struggling British leader at the time, he added: "The guys are trying to proceed. may soon…"
Epstein suggested Bannon: "I think 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 answered: "I don't see how BUT the guys here have no balls" and noted "Johnson ; Michael Gove; Rees Mogg; David Davis - somebody has to take charge".
Theresa May was finally toppled in May 2019 after surviving two votes of no confidence in December 2018.
A representative for the political party informed the BBC: "Nigel Farage has not been in a gathering with Steve Bannon, Jacob Rees Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is nothing to suggest such a meeting took place.
The Congress will decide next week on whether the justice department should make public all its records concerning its investigation into Epstein, who passed away in prison in 2019.
Attention in Epstein's relationships with powerful figures was renewed this week after the publication of over 20,000 documents from his estate.
Some of those referenced the former president, who has repeatedly rejected any wrongdoing. The leader was a acquaintance of Epstein's for a long time, but says they parted ways in the 2000s, two years before Epstein was first arrested.