Messages Highlight the late financier and former Trump strategist Relationship
In late 2018, Steve Bannon, previously a top aide to Donald Trump, visited the UK to deliver a address at the Oxford Union.
The speech was interrupted by hundreds of protesters, and Bannon, who was due to travel that night, informed Jeffrey Epstein in an email: "Protesters slowed down speech I doubt I can catch the flight we r enroute to heathrow".
Epstein replied: "That. Is a gulf air departing at 9:50 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon answered: "U r an amazing helper".
These messages were released on Wednesday alongside over 20,000 documents from the records of Epstein, the late financier convicted of sex crimes.
The disclosure by the Congressional committee includes an text conversation where Bannon's name is redacted. The BBC managed to establish his identity by cross-referencing the dates, occurrences, and places referenced.
For example, Epstein discusses chartering a plane from the UK for the redacted user in the messages, and offers praise their "Oxford speech". 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.
Epstein's Assurance to Bannon
Bannon was one of the president's key advisers in the run up to the presidential election and in the early days of his first administration, but resigned from the administration in August 2017.
He has acknowledged he was making a documentary about Epstein prior to his passing and allegedly has approximately 15 hours of footage. In a live taping of his podcast earlier this year, he stated: "We're going to release the film, the five-part series, in the coming year - at the start of next year."
But the newly released materials indicate Bannon's connection with Epstein went further than documenting his life, with the convicted paedophile occasionally seeming to act like a personal assistant.
A few days prior to the conversation in which Epstein appeared to have booked a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein remarked: "how does it feel to have the most highly paid booking agent in the world ".
Bannon thanked him: "You are quite capable assistant", to which Epstein replied "Therapies. Excluded".
Discussing a visit to "Abu Dhabi" in another message, Epstein assured Bannon: "I'll make sure you're well looked after."
UK Politics Mentioned in Messages
The published messages also reveal Bannon and Epstein talking about British political matters in that year.
Earlier on the day of his speech at the Oxford, Bannon texted Epstein: "I became involved in the EU exit thing this morning with Nigel, Johnson and Mogg."
Then, in what appears to be a allusion to Theresa May, the embattled UK prime minister at the time, he continued: "They are trying to proceed. may soon…"
Epstein suggested Bannon: "I think remaining as long as you can uk. Ideal- so people see the commitment of your follow through."
Soon after, Epstein inquired: "Can Theresa may survive". Bannon replied: "I don't see how however the people here have little courage" and added "Boris ; Michael Gove; Rees Mogg; David Davis - somebody has to take charge".
Theresa May was eventually toppled in May 2019 after surviving multiple attempts of no confidence in late 2018.
A spokesman for Reform UK informed media: "Nigel Farage has not been in a gathering with Bannon, Jacob Rees Mogg and Johnson." And there is no evidence that encounter occurred.
The US House of Representatives will decide soon on whether the Department of Justice should release all its records concerning its probe into Epstein, who passed away in prison in 2019.
Attention in Epstein's associations with influential individuals was reignited this week after the publication of over 20,000 documents from his archives.
A portion of those referenced Trump, who has consistently rejected any wrongdoing. The president was a acquaintance of Epstein's for a long time, but says they fell out in the early 2000s, two years before Epstein was initially charged.