Messages Highlight the late financier and Steve Bannon Relationship
In November 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly Donald Trump's chief strategist, was in the UK to deliver a speech at the Oxford Union.
The speech was interrupted by hundreds of protesters, and Bannon, scheduled to travel that night, informed Jeffrey Epstein in an email: "Protesters slowed down my talk don't think I can make the plane we are heading to heathrow".
Epstein responded: "There. Is a Gulf Air departing at 9:50 with a stop in Bahrain". Bannon answered: "U r an excellent helper".
These exchanges were published on Wednesday together with over 20,000 pages from the records of Epstein, the late financier convicted of sex crimes.
The release by the Congressional committee contains an iMessage chat where Bannon's identity is redacted. Media outlets managed to confirm his identity by cross-referencing the timeline, events, and places referenced.
For example, Epstein talks about chartering a plane from the UK for the redacted user in the chat, and offers praise their "Oxford speech". Bannon participated in the News Xchange conference on November 14, and gave the talk at the Oxford on November 16.
Bannon, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, did not reply on the inquiry.
Epstein's Assurance to Bannon
Bannon served as the president's key aides in the lead-up to the 2016 election and during the initial phase of his presidency, but resigned from the administration in 2017.
He has admitted he was producing a documentary about Epstein prior to his death and allegedly has approximately 15 hours of footage. In a recording of his podcast earlier this year, he said: "We're going to publish the series, the multi-part documentary, next year - at the start of next year."
But the recently disclosed documents indicate Bannon's relationship with Epstein extended than being his biographer, with the convicted paedophile occasionally seeming to act like a personal assistant.
A few days prior to the conversation in which Epstein seemed to arranged a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein said: "how does it feel to have the highest-paid travel agent in the world ".
Bannon thanked him: "You are pretty good assistant", to which Epstein replied "Therapies. Excluded".
Discussing a trip to "Abu Dhabi" in another message, Epstein assured Bannon: "I will ensure you're well looked after."
UK Politics Discussed in Messages
The published messages also reveal Bannon and Epstein discussing British political matters in 2018.
On the day of his address at the Oxford Union, Bannon texted Epstein: "I became involved in the Brexit thing this morning with Nigel, Boris and Rees Mogg."
Then, in what seems like a allusion to Theresa May, the struggling British leader at the time, he added: "They are trying to move on. May soon…"
Epstein suggested Bannon: "I think staying as much as you can in the UK. Ideal- so others get the dedication of your follow through."
Shortly after, Epstein inquired: "Will Theresa May survive". Bannon replied: "It seems unlikely BUT the guys over here have no balls" and added "Boris ; Gove; Rees Mogg; David Davis - somebody has to take charge".
May was finally removed in 2019 after withstanding multiple attempts of lack of support in late 2018.
A spokesman for Reform UK told media: "Farage has never been in a meeting with Steve Bannon, Rees-Mogg and Johnson." And there is no evidence such a meeting occurred.
The Congress will decide next week on whether the Department of Justice should make public all its files related to its probe into Epstein, who passed away in jail in that year.
Attention in Epstein's associations with influential individuals was renewed recently after the publication of over 20,000 pages from his estate.
A portion of those mentioned Trump, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing. The president was a acquaintance of Epstein's for years, but says they parted ways in the early 2000s, two years prior to Epstein was initially charged.