Emails Highlight Jeffrey Epstein and former Trump strategist Connection
In November 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly a top aide to Donald Trump, was in the UK to deliver a speech at the prestigious Oxford Union.
The event was interrupted by hundreds of protesters, and Bannon, who was due to travel that evening, told Jeffrey Epstein in an email: "Activists slowed down my talk I doubt I can catch the flight we are heading to heathrow".
Epstein replied: "There. Is a Gulf Air departing at 9:50 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon replied: "U r an excellent helper".
These exchanges were published on Wednesday alongside more than 20,000 pages from the records of Epstein, the deceased financier convicted of sex crimes.
The disclosure by the Congressional committee includes an text conversation where Bannon's identity is redacted. Media outlets managed to confirm his identity by matching the dates, occurrences, and locations referenced.
For example, Epstein discusses arranging a plane from Scotland for the unnamed individual in the messages, and commends their "address at Oxford". Bannon participated in the Edinburgh conference on November 14, and gave the speech at the Oxford two days later.
Bannon, who faces no allegations of any wrongdoing, did not reply on the request for comment.
Epstein's Assurance to Bannon
Bannon served as the president's closest advisers in the lead-up to the 2016 election and during the initial phase of his presidency, but resigned from the White House in August 2017.
He has acknowledged he was producing a film about Epstein prior to his passing and reportedly has approximately 15 hours of recordings. In a recording of his show recently, he said: "We plan to publish the series, the five-part series, in the coming year - early next year."
But the recently disclosed documents suggest Bannon's connection with Epstein extended than being his biographer, with the disgraced financier at times appearing to serve like a personal assistant.
A few days before the exchange in which Epstein seemed to booked a private plane for Bannon, Epstein remarked: "how does it feel to have the most highly paid travel agent in history ".
Bannon thanked him: "You are pretty good assistant", to which Epstein responded "Massages. Excluded".
Discussing a trip to "AD" in another message, Epstein told Bannon: "I'll make sure you're taken care of."
British Affairs Discussed in Messages
The published communications also show Bannon and Epstein discussing UK politics in 2018.
Earlier on the day of his speech at the Oxford Union, Bannon messaged Epstein: "I became involved in the Brexit issue this day with Farage, Boris and Mogg."
Then, in what seems like a reference to the UK prime minister, the struggling British leader at the time, he continued: "The guys are trying to proceed. May soon…"
Epstein suggested Bannon: "In my view staying as long as you can in the UK. Ideal- so others get the dedication of your follow-up."
Shortly after, Epstein inquired: "Will Theresa may remain in power". Bannon replied: "It seems unlikely however the people over here have little courage" and noted "Johnson ; Gove; Rees Mogg; Davis - someone has to step up".
Theresa May was finally toppled in May 2019 after surviving two votes of lack of support in late 2018.
A representative for Reform UK told media: "Nigel Farage has never been in a meeting with Bannon, Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is no evidence such a meeting took place.
The US House of Representatives will decide soon on whether the justice department should release all its records concerning its probe into Epstein, who died in jail in that year.
Interest in Epstein's associations with influential individuals was renewed this week after the release of more than 20,000 pages from his estate.
Some of those mentioned Trump, who has repeatedly rejected any wrongdoing. The leader was a acquaintance of Epstein's for a long time, but claims they parted ways in the early 2000s, a couple of years before Epstein was first arrested.