🔗 Share this article

In late 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly Donald Trump's chief strategist, was in the UK to deliver a address at the Oxford Union.

The speech was interrupted by hundreds of demonstrators, and Bannon, scheduled to board a flight that night, told Jeffrey Epstein in an email: "Activists delayed my talk don't think I can make the plane we r enroute to the airport".

Epstein replied: "That. Is a Gulf Air that leaves at 9:50 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon replied: "You are an excellent helper".

These messages were released on Wednesday alongside more than 20,000 pages from the estate of Epstein, the late convicted sex offender.

The release by the Congressional committee contains an iMessage chat where Bannon's name is redacted. The BBC managed to establish his identity by matching the dates, events, and places referenced.

For example, Epstein talks about chartering a jet from Scotland for the redacted user in the chat, and commends their "Oxford speech". Bannon took part in the Edinburgh conference on November 14, and delivered the talk at the Oxford two days later.

Bannon, who faces no allegations of any misconduct, did not reply on the inquiry.

'I'll make sure you're well looked after'

Bannon served as Trump's key advisers in the run up to the presidential election and during the initial phase of his presidency, but resigned from the White House in 2017.

He has acknowledged he was making a film about Epstein before his passing and allegedly has approximately 15 hours of recordings. In a live taping 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 materials indicate Bannon's connection with Epstein extended than being his biographer, with the disgraced financier occasionally appearing to serve like a personal assistant.

A few days prior to the conversation in which Epstein appeared to have booked a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein said: "what's it like to have the highest-paid travel agent in the world ".

Bannon expressed gratitude: "U r pretty good asst", to which Epstein responded "Therapies. Not Included".

Discussing a trip to "Abu Dhabi" in a separate text, Epstein told Bannon: "I will ensure you're taken care of."

UK Politics Discussed in Exchanges

The published communications also show Bannon and Epstein talking about British political matters in that year.

Earlier on the same day his speech at the Oxford Union, Bannon texted Epstein: "I became involved in the EU exit thing this morning with Farage, Boris and Mogg."

Then, in what seems like a allusion to Theresa May, the struggling UK prime minister at the time, he continued: "They are trying to proceed. May soon…"

Epstein advised Bannon: "In my view remaining as much as you can uk. Ideal- so others get the commitment of your follow-up."

Shortly after, Epstein inquired: "Will Theresa May survive". Bannon replied: "I don't see how BUT the people here have no balls" and noted "Johnson ; Gove; Rees Mogg; Davis - someone has to step up".

Theresa May was finally removed in May 2019 after withstanding multiple attempts of no confidence in late 2018.

A representative for the political party informed the BBC: "Nigel Farage has never been in a meeting with Bannon, Jacob Rees Mogg and Johnson." And there is no evidence such a meeting took place.

The Congress will vote soon on whether the justice department should release all its records concerning its probe into Epstein, who passed away in jail in 2019.

Interest in Epstein's associations with influential individuals was reignited recently after the release of over 20,000 documents from his archives.

Some of those mentioned the former president, who has consistently rejected any impropriety. The president was a friend of Epstein's for a long time, but says they parted ways in the 2000s, two years prior to Epstein was initially charged.