🔗 Share this article

In late 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly Donald Trump's chief strategist, visited the UK preparing for a speech at the prestigious Oxford Union.

The speech was disrupted by hundreds of demonstrators, and Bannon, scheduled to board a flight that night, informed Jeffrey Epstein in an email: "Activists delayed speech I doubt I can make the flight we are heading to the airport".

Epstein replied: "There. Is a gulf air departing at 950 with a stop in Bahrain". Bannon replied: "U r an amazing helper".

These messages were released on Wednesday together with more than 20,000 documents from the records of Epstein, the late convicted sex offender.

The release by the House oversight committee contains an text conversation where Bannon's identity is withheld. The BBC managed to establish his involvement by matching the timeline, occurrences, and locations referenced.

For instance, Epstein talks about arranging a jet from Scotland for the redacted user in the messages, and offers praise their "Oxford speech". Bannon took part in the News Xchange conference on November 14, and gave the talk at the Oxford on November 16.

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 aides in the run up to the 2016 election and in the early days of his first administration, but resigned from the administration in 2017.

He has admitted he was making a documentary about Epstein prior to his passing and allegedly has approximately 15 hours of footage. In a recording of his show recently, he said: "We're going to release the film, the five-part series, next year - early next year."

But the newly released materials suggest Bannon's relationship with Epstein went further than being his biographer, with the disgraced financier occasionally seeming to act like a aide.

A few days prior to the conversation in which Epstein seemed to booked a private plane for Bannon, Epstein remarked: "what's it like to have the highest-paid travel agent in the world ".

Bannon expressed gratitude: "You are pretty good assistant", to which Epstein replied "Therapies. Excluded".

Discussing a visit to "AD" in a separate text, Epstein assured Bannon: "I will ensure you are taken care of."

British Affairs Discussed in Exchanges

The released messages also show Bannon and Epstein discussing UK politics in 2018.

On the same day his address at the Oxford, Bannon messaged Epstein: "I've gotten pulled into the EU exit thing this day with Farage, Boris and Rees Mogg."

Then, in what appears to be a reference to the UK prime minister, the struggling British leader at the time, he continued: "The guys are attempting to proceed. may today / tomorrow…"

Epstein suggested Bannon: "I think staying as long as you can uk. Best-- so people see the dedication of your follow through."

Shortly after, Epstein asked: "Can Theresa May survive". Bannon replied: "I don't see how however the guys over here have little courage" and added "Johnson ; Michael Gove; Rees Mogg; David Davis - someone has to step up".

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

A spokesman for the political party informed the BBC: "Nigel Farage has not been in a meeting with Steve Bannon, Jacob Rees Mogg and Johnson." And there is no evidence such a meeting occurred.

The US House of Representatives will decide soon on whether the Department of Justice should release all its files concerning its probe into Epstein, who died in prison in that year.

Interest in Epstein's associations with powerful figures was renewed this week after the release of more than 20,000 documents from his estate.

A portion of those referenced Trump, 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 early 2000s, a couple of years before Epstein was initially charged.