Messages Uncover Jeffrey Epstein and Steve Bannon Ties
In November 2018, Steve Bannon, previously Donald Trump's chief strategist, was in the UK to deliver a address at the prestigious Oxford Union.
The speech was disrupted by numerous demonstrators, and Bannon, scheduled to board a flight that evening, told Jeffrey Epstein in an message: "Protesters slowed down speech don't think I can make the flight we are heading to heathrow".
Epstein responded: "There. Is a Gulf Air departing at 950 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon answered: "U r an excellent assistant".
These messages were released on this week together with more than 20,000 documents from the estate of Epstein, the deceased convicted sex offender.
The release by the House oversight committee contains an iMessage chat where Bannon's name is withheld. The BBC managed to establish his identity by cross-referencing the timeline, occurrences, and locations mentioned.
For example, Epstein discusses arranging a jet from Scotland for the unnamed individual in the messages, and commends their "address at Oxford". Bannon took part in the Edinburgh conference on 14 November, and gave the talk at the Oxford two days later.
Bannon, who faces no allegations of any misconduct, did not reply on the request for comment.
'I'll make sure you're well looked after'
Bannon was one of Trump's key aides in the run up to the 2016 election and in the early days of his presidency, but resigned from the White House in 2017.
He has admitted he was making a film about Epstein before his death and allegedly has approximately 15 hours of recordings. In a recording of his show earlier this year, he said: "We're going to release the film, the multi-part documentary, in the coming year - at the start of next year."
But the newly released documents indicate Bannon's connection with Epstein extended than documenting his life, with the convicted paedophile at times seeming to act like a personal assistant.
A few days before the exchange in which Epstein seemed to arranged a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein remarked: "what's it like to have the highest-paid travel agent in the world ".
Bannon thanked him: "U r pretty good asst", to which Epstein replied "Massages. Excluded".
Discussing a visit to "Abu Dhabi" in another message, Epstein assured Bannon: "I will ensure you're taken care of."
UK Politics Mentioned in Exchanges
The published communications also reveal Bannon and Epstein talking about British political matters in that year.
Earlier on the same day his address at the Oxford, Bannon texted Epstein: "I became involved in the EU exit thing this morning with Farage, Johnson and Rees Mogg."
Then, in what seems like a reference to Theresa May, the struggling UK prime minister at the period, he added: "The guys are attempting to move on. may soon…"
Epstein suggested Bannon: "In my view staying as long as you can in the UK. Ideal- so people get the dedication of your follow-up."
Shortly after, Epstein asked: "Will Theresa May survive". Bannon answered: "I don't see how however the guys here have little courage" and added "Johnson ; Gove; Jacob Rees-Mogg; David Davis - someone has to step up".
Theresa May was eventually removed in May 2019 after surviving two votes of lack of support in December 2018.
A representative for Reform UK told media: "Farage has not been in a gathering with Bannon, Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is no evidence such a meeting took place.
The US House of Representatives will vote soon on whether the justice department should make public all its records concerning its probe into Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.
Attention in Epstein's associations with powerful figures was renewed this week after the release of more than 20,000 pages from his archives.
Some of those referenced Trump, who has consistently rejected any impropriety. The president was a friend of Epstein's for years, but says they parted ways in the early 2000s, a couple of years prior to Epstein was initially charged.