Correspondence Uncover the late financier and Steve Bannon Connection
In November 2018, Steve Bannon, previously a top aide to Donald Trump, visited the UK preparing for a address at the prestigious Oxford Union.
The event was interrupted by hundreds of demonstrators, and Bannon, who was due to travel that night, told Jeffrey Epstein in an message: "Activists delayed my talk don't think I can catch the plane we r enroute 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 exchanges were published on this week together with more than 20,000 pages from the estate of Epstein, the deceased financier convicted of sex crimes.
The disclosure by the House oversight committee contains an text conversation where Bannon's identity is withheld. Media outlets has been able to establish his identity by cross-referencing the timeline, occurrences, and locations referenced.
For example, Epstein discusses chartering a jet from Scotland for the unnamed individual in the chat, and commends their "address at Oxford". Bannon took part in the News Xchange conference on November 14, and gave the speech at the Oxford two days later.
Bannon, who is not accused of any misconduct, declined to comment on the inquiry.
Epstein's Assurance to Bannon
Bannon was one of Trump's key aides in the run up to the presidential election and during the initial phase of his first administration, but resigned from the administration in 2017.
He has admitted he was making a documentary about Epstein prior to his death and reportedly has approximately 15 hours of footage. In a recording of his show recently, he said: "We plan to release the film, the five-part series, in the coming year - early next year."
But the newly released documents indicate Bannon's connection with Epstein extended than being his biographer, with the disgraced financier at times seeming to act like a aide.
A short time prior to the exchange in which Epstein seemed to booked a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein said: "what's it like to have the most highly paid booking agent in the world ".
Bannon thanked him: "U r quite capable asst", to which Epstein replied "Therapies. Excluded".
Discussing a visit to "AD" in another message, Epstein assured Bannon: "I'll make sure you are well looked after."
UK Politics Mentioned in Exchanges
The published communications also show Bannon and Epstein discussing UK politics in that year.
On the same day his address at the Oxford, Bannon messaged Epstein: "I've gotten pulled into the EU exit thing this morning with Nigel, Boris and Rees Mogg."
Then, in what seems like a reference to the UK prime minister, the struggling British leader at the period, he continued: "The guys are trying to move on. may today / tomorrow…"
Epstein suggested Bannon: "In my view staying as much as you can uk. Best-- so others get the dedication of your follow through."
Shortly after, Epstein inquired: "Will Theresa May survive". Bannon answered: "I don't see how however the guys over here have no balls" and added "Johnson ; Gove; Jacob Rees-Mogg; David Davis - somebody has to step up".
May was finally toppled in 2019 after withstanding two votes of lack of support in December 2018.
A representative for the political party told the BBC: "Nigel Farage has never been in a meeting with Steve Bannon, Jacob Rees Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is nothing to suggest that encounter took place.
The US House of Representatives will decide soon on whether the justice department should release all its files related to its probe into Epstein, who died in prison in that year.
Interest in Epstein's relationships with powerful figures was reignited recently after the publication of over 20,000 documents from his estate.
Some of those mentioned the former president, who has consistently rejected any wrongdoing. The leader was a friend of Epstein's for years, but says they fell out in the early 2000s, a couple of years before Epstein was first arrested.