Correspondence Uncover Jeffrey Epstein and former Trump strategist Ties
In November 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly Donald Trump's chief strategist, visited the UK preparing for a address at the Oxford Union.
The event was interrupted by hundreds of protesters, and Bannon, scheduled to travel that night, informed Jeffrey Epstein in an message: "Protesters slowed down my talk I doubt I can catch the flight we are heading to the airport".
Epstein replied: "There. Is a Gulf Air departing at 950 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon answered: "U r an excellent helper".
These exchanges were published on this week together with more than 20,000 pages from the records of Epstein, the late financier convicted of sex crimes.
The release by the Congressional committee includes an text conversation where Bannon's name is withheld. Media outlets managed to confirm his identity by cross-referencing the timeline, occurrences, and locations mentioned.
For example, Epstein discusses chartering a jet from the UK for the unnamed individual in the chat, and offers praise their "address at Oxford". Bannon participated in the Edinburgh conference on 14 November, and delivered the speech at the Oxford two days later.
Bannon, who faces no allegations of any misconduct, declined to comment on the inquiry.
'I'll make sure you're well looked after'
Bannon was one of the president's key aides in the run up to the presidential election and in the early days of his first administration, but resigned from the White House in August 2017.
He has admitted he was making a documentary about Epstein prior to his passing and allegedly has around 15 hours of recordings. In a live taping of his podcast earlier this year, he said: "We're going to publish the film, the multi-part documentary, in the coming year - at the start of next year."
But the recently disclosed materials 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 prior to the exchange in which Epstein appeared to have arranged a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein remarked: "what's it like to have the highest-paid travel agent in history ".
Bannon expressed gratitude: "U r pretty good asst", to which Epstein responded "Massages. Excluded".
Discussing a trip to "Abu Dhabi" in another message, Epstein assured Bannon: "I'll make sure you are taken care of."
British Affairs Discussed in Messages
The released communications also reveal Bannon and Epstein discussing British political matters in 2018.
On the day of his address at the Oxford Union, Bannon messaged Epstein: "I've gotten pulled into the Brexit issue this morning with Nigel, Johnson and Rees Mogg."
Then, in what seems like a allusion to the UK prime minister, the struggling British leader at the period, he continued: "The guys are trying to proceed. May today / tomorrow…"
Epstein suggested Bannon: "In my view remaining as much as you can in the UK. Ideal- so people get the dedication of your follow-up."
Soon after, Epstein inquired: "Will Theresa may survive". Bannon replied: "It seems unlikely BUT the guys here have little courage" and noted "Boris ; Gove; Rees Mogg; David Davis - somebody has to take charge".
Theresa May was eventually removed in 2019 after withstanding two votes of no confidence in late 2018.
A spokesman for the political party informed media: "Nigel Farage has never been in a meeting with Steve Bannon, Jacob Rees Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is nothing to suggest that encounter occurred.
The US House of Representatives will vote next week on whether the Department of Justice should release all its files related to its investigation into Epstein, who died in jail in 2019.
Attention in Epstein's associations with powerful figures was renewed recently after the release of over 20,000 pages from his archives.
Some of those referenced Trump, who has repeatedly rejected any impropriety. The president was a friend of Epstein's for a long time, but says they fell out in the 2000s, a couple of years before Epstein was initially charged.