Emails Uncover Jeffrey Epstein and Steve Bannon Ties
In late 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly a top aide to Donald Trump, was in the UK preparing for a speech at the Oxford Union.
The event was interrupted by hundreds of demonstrators, and Bannon, who was due to travel that night, told Jeffrey Epstein in an email: "Protesters delayed speech don't think I can make the plane we r enroute to heathrow".
Epstein responded: "There. Is a gulf air that leaves at 9:50 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon replied: "U r an amazing assistant".
These exchanges were published on Wednesday together with over 20,000 pages from the estate of Epstein, the deceased convicted sex offender.
The disclosure by the House oversight committee includes an text conversation where Bannon's identity is redacted. The BBC managed to establish his identity by cross-referencing the dates, events, and locations referenced.
For instance, Epstein talks about arranging a jet from the UK for the redacted user in the chat, and commends their "address at Oxford". Bannon took part in the Edinburgh conference on 14 November, and gave the speech at the Oxford Union two days later.
Bannon, who faces no allegations of any misconduct, did not reply on the inquiry.
'I'll make sure you're well looked after'
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 White House in 2017.
He has acknowledged he was producing a documentary about Epstein prior to his death and reportedly has around 15 hours of footage. In a live taping of his podcast recently, he stated: "We're going to publish the series, the five-part series, in the coming year - at the start of next year."
But the newly released materials suggest Bannon's relationship with Epstein extended than being his biographer, with the convicted paedophile at times appearing to serve 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 most highly paid travel agent in history ".
Bannon thanked him: "U r pretty good assistant", to which Epstein replied "Massages. Excluded".
Discussing a visit to "Abu Dhabi" in another message, Epstein told Bannon: "I'll make sure you're taken care of."
UK Politics Discussed in Exchanges
The published messages also show Bannon and Epstein talking about UK politics in 2018.
On the same day his address at the Oxford Union, Bannon texted Epstein: "I've gotten pulled into the EU exit thing this day with Nigel, Johnson and Rees Mogg."
Then, in what appears to be a reference to Theresa May, the struggling UK prime minister at the period, he continued: "They are attempting to move on. may today / tomorrow…"
Epstein suggested Bannon: "I think staying as much as you can in the UK. Ideal- so others get the dedication of your follow through."
Shortly after, Epstein asked: "Will Theresa may survive". Bannon replied: "I don't see how however the guys here have no balls" and added "Boris ; Gove; Rees Mogg; Davis - somebody has to take charge".
May was finally toppled in May 2019 after surviving two votes of lack of support in December 2018.
A representative for Reform UK informed media: "Farage has never been in a gathering with Bannon, Rees-Mogg and Johnson." And there is nothing to suggest such a meeting occurred.
The Congress will decide soon on whether the justice department should make public all its files concerning its probe into Epstein, who passed away in prison in that year.
Interest in Epstein's associations with influential individuals was renewed this week after the release of more than 20,000 documents from his estate.
A portion of those referenced the former president, who has repeatedly denied any impropriety. The president was a acquaintance of Epstein's for years, but says they fell out in the 2000s, two years before Epstein was first arrested.