Messages Uncover the late financier and Steve Bannon Relationship
In November 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly a top aide to Donald Trump, was in the UK preparing for a speech at the prestigious Oxford Union.
The speech was interrupted by hundreds of protesters, and Bannon, who was due to travel that night, told Jeffrey Epstein in an message: "Activists slowed down my talk I doubt I can make the plane we r enroute to heathrow".
Epstein replied: "That. Is a gulf air that leaves at 950 with a stop in Bahrain". Bannon replied: "U r an amazing assistant".
These messages 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 identity is redacted. Media outlets has been able to confirm his identity by matching the dates, events, and places mentioned.
For instance, Epstein talks about arranging a plane from Scotland for the redacted user in the chat, and commends their "Oxford speech". Bannon participated in the News Xchange conference on November 14, and gave the speech at the Oxford on November 16.
Bannon, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, declined to comment on the request for comment.
'I'll make sure you're well looked after'
Bannon served as the president's key advisers in the run up to the 2016 election and during the initial phase of his presidency, but stepped down from the administration in August 2017.
He has admitted he was making a documentary about Epstein before his death and allegedly has approximately 15 hours of footage. In a recording of his podcast earlier this year, he stated: "We're going to release the film, the five-part series, in the coming year - early next year."
But the newly released documents indicate Bannon's relationship with Epstein went further than being his biographer, with the disgraced financier occasionally seeming to act like a aide.
A few days before the exchange in which Epstein appeared to have arranged a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein said: "how does it feel to have the highest-paid booking agent in the world ".
Bannon thanked him: "U r quite capable assistant", to which Epstein replied "Massages. Not Included".
Discussing a trip to "AD" in a separate text, Epstein told Bannon: "I'll make sure you're well looked after."
UK Politics Mentioned in Messages
The published communications also reveal Bannon and Epstein talking about British political matters in that year.
On the day of his address at the Oxford, Bannon messaged Epstein: "I became involved in the EU exit issue this morning with Farage, Johnson and Rees Mogg."
Then, in what seems like a allusion to the UK prime minister, the embattled UK prime minister at the time, he continued: "The guys are attempting to move on. may soon…"
Epstein suggested Bannon: "In my view remaining as much as you can in the UK. Ideal- so others get the commitment of your follow through."
Soon after, Epstein inquired: "Can Theresa may remain in power". Bannon replied: "It seems unlikely BUT the guys here have little courage" and added "Boris ; Gove; Jacob Rees-Mogg; Davis - someone has to step up".
Theresa May was finally removed in 2019 after withstanding two votes of lack of support in December 2018.
A spokesman for the political party told media: "Nigel Farage has not been in a gathering with Bannon, Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is nothing to suggest that encounter took place.
The Congress will decide soon on whether the justice department should release all its files concerning its investigation into Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.
Attention in Epstein's relationships with powerful figures was renewed this week after the publication of more than 20,000 documents from his estate.
Some of those mentioned Trump, who has repeatedly rejected any wrongdoing. The president was a acquaintance of Epstein's for a long time, but says they fell out in the early 2000s, a couple of years before Epstein was first arrested.