Messages Reveal the late financier and Steve Bannon Connection
In November 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly a top aide to Donald Trump, was in the UK preparing for a address at the Oxford Union.
The event was disrupted by hundreds of demonstrators, and Bannon, scheduled to board a flight that evening, informed Jeffrey Epstein in an message: "Activists slowed down speech I doubt I can make the plane we r enroute to heathrow".
Epstein replied: "That. Is a Gulf Air departing at 9:50 with a stop in Bahrain". Bannon answered: "You are an excellent helper".
These exchanges were released on this week alongside more than 20,000 documents from the estate of Epstein, the late convicted sex offender.
The disclosure by the House oversight committee contains an text conversation where Bannon's identity is redacted. Media outlets managed to confirm his involvement by matching the timeline, events, and places mentioned.
For example, Epstein talks about arranging a jet from Scotland for the unnamed individual in the chat, and offers praise their "address at Oxford". Bannon participated in the News Xchange conference on November 14, and delivered the talk at the Oxford Union two days later.
Bannon, who faces no allegations of any wrongdoing, declined to comment on the inquiry.
'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 presidency, but resigned from the administration in August 2017.
He has acknowledged he was producing a film about Epstein before his death and allegedly has around 15 hours of footage. In a live taping of his show recently, he said: "We're going to publish the film, the five-part series, next year - early next year."
But the recently disclosed documents indicate Bannon's relationship with Epstein extended than documenting his life, with the disgraced financier at times seeming to act like a aide.
A short time before the conversation in which Epstein appeared to have booked a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein said: "how does it feel to have the highest-paid travel agent in history ".
Bannon expressed gratitude: "U r quite capable asst", to which Epstein responded "Massages. Not Included".
Discussing a trip 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 communications also show Bannon and Epstein discussing British political matters in 2018.
On the day of his address at the Oxford, Bannon messaged Epstein: "I became involved in the EU exit thing this day with Nigel, Johnson and Mogg."
Then, in what appears to be a allusion to Theresa May, the struggling UK prime minister at the period, he continued: "They are attempting to move on. May today / tomorrow…"
Epstein advised Bannon: "In my view remaining as long as you can uk. Ideal- so others get the dedication of your follow through."
Soon after, Epstein asked: "Will Theresa May remain in power". Bannon answered: "It seems unlikely however the people over here have no balls" and noted "Boris ; 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 late 2018.
A spokesman for the political party informed the BBC: "Farage has not been in a meeting with Steve Bannon, Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is nothing to suggest such a meeting took place.
The US House of Representatives will vote soon on whether the justice department should make public all its files related to 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 pages from his archives.
Some of those mentioned Trump, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing. The leader was a friend of Epstein's for a long time, but claims they parted ways in the early 2000s, a couple of years prior to Epstein was initially charged.