Messages Highlight the late financier and Steve Bannon Ties
In November 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly Donald Trump's chief strategist, visited the UK to deliver a address at the Oxford Union.
The event was interrupted by numerous protesters, and Bannon, scheduled to travel that night, told Jeffrey Epstein in an message: "Activists slowed down speech don't think I can catch the flight we r enroute to heathrow".
Epstein responded: "That. Is a gulf air departing at 9:50 with a stop in Bahrain". Bannon answered: "You are an excellent assistant".
These messages were released on Wednesday alongside over 20,000 documents from the records of Epstein, the late convicted sex offender.
The release by the Congressional committee contains an text conversation where Bannon's identity is withheld. Media outlets has been able to establish his identity by cross-referencing the dates, occurrences, and places referenced.
For example, Epstein talks about chartering a jet from the UK for the redacted user in the chat, and commends their "Oxford speech". Bannon took part in the News Xchange conference on 14 November, and delivered the talk at the Oxford on November 16.
Bannon, who faces no allegations of any misconduct, did not reply on the inquiry.
Epstein's Assurance to Bannon
Bannon served as the president's key aides 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 producing a documentary about Epstein before his passing and allegedly has around 15 hours of recordings. In a live taping of his show earlier this year, he said: "We're going to publish the film, the multi-part documentary, in the coming year - at the start of next year."
But the newly released documents suggest Bannon's relationship with Epstein extended than being his biographer, with the convicted paedophile occasionally seeming to act like a aide.
A few days before the exchange in which Epstein seemed to arranged a private plane 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 asst", to which Epstein responded "Therapies. Not Included".
Discussing a trip to "Abu Dhabi" in another message, Epstein told Bannon: "I'll make sure you are taken care of."
UK Politics Mentioned in Exchanges
The published messages also reveal Bannon and Epstein discussing UK politics in that year.
On the same day his speech at the Oxford Union, Bannon texted Epstein: "I've gotten pulled into the Brexit issue this morning with Nigel, Johnson and Rees Mogg."
Then, in what seems like a reference to Theresa May, the embattled British leader at the period, he added: "The guys are attempting to move on. May soon…"
Epstein advised Bannon: "In my view remaining as much as you can in the UK. Ideal- so others see the dedication of your follow-up."
Soon after, Epstein inquired: "Can Theresa May remain in power". Bannon replied: "It seems unlikely however the guys here have no balls" and added "Boris ; Gove; Jacob Rees-Mogg; David Davis - someone has to step up".
May was finally removed in 2019 after surviving multiple attempts of no confidence in late 2018.
A spokesman for the political party informed the BBC: "Nigel Farage has not been in a gathering with Bannon, Jacob Rees Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is nothing to suggest such a meeting occurred.
The US House of Representatives will decide next week on whether the justice department should release all its records related to its probe into Epstein, who passed away in prison in that year.
Interest in Epstein's associations with influential individuals was renewed recently after the release of over 20,000 pages from his archives.
A portion of those referenced the former president, who has repeatedly rejected any impropriety. The president was a acquaintance of Epstein's for years, but says they parted ways in the 2000s, a couple of years before Epstein was initially charged.