Correspondence Highlight the late financier and former Trump strategist Ties
In late 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly Donald Trump's chief strategist, was in the UK preparing for a speech at the Oxford Union.
The event was disrupted by numerous demonstrators, and Bannon, who was due to board a flight that night, told Jeffrey Epstein in an email: "Activists slowed down my talk I doubt I can make the plane we r enroute to heathrow".
Epstein responded: "That. Is a Gulf Air that leaves at 9:50 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon replied: "U r an amazing helper".
These messages were released on this week alongside more than 20,000 pages from the records of Epstein, the late financier convicted of sex crimes.
The release by the House oversight committee includes an text conversation where Bannon's name is redacted. The BBC managed to confirm his involvement by cross-referencing the dates, occurrences, and places referenced.
For example, Epstein discusses arranging a jet from the UK for the redacted user in the messages, and offers praise their "address at Oxford". Bannon participated in the News Xchange conference on November 14, and gave the talk at the Oxford Union on November 16.
Bannon, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, did not reply on the request for comment.
Epstein's Assurance to Bannon
Bannon was one of the president's closest advisers in the run up to the 2016 election and in the early days of his presidency, but stepped down from the White House in August 2017.
He has admitted he was making a documentary about Epstein before his death and allegedly has approximately 15 hours of recordings. In a live taping of his show earlier this year, he stated: "We plan to publish the series, the five-part series, in the coming year - early next year."
But the newly released materials suggest Bannon's connection with Epstein went further than being his biographer, with the convicted paedophile occasionally appearing to serve like a personal assistant.
A short time before the conversation in which Epstein appeared to have booked a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein remarked: "what's it like to have the highest-paid booking agent in history ".
Bannon thanked him: "You are pretty good asst", to which Epstein responded "Therapies. Not Included".
Discussing a trip to "Abu Dhabi" in a separate text, Epstein told Bannon: "I'll make sure you're taken care of."
UK Politics Discussed in Messages
The released communications also show Bannon and Epstein discussing UK politics in 2018.
Earlier on the same day his address at the Oxford Union, Bannon messaged Epstein: "I've gotten pulled into the EU exit thing this morning with Nigel, Boris and Rees Mogg."
Then, in what appears to be a allusion to Theresa May, the struggling UK prime minister at the period, he continued: "The guys are trying to proceed. may today / tomorrow…"
Epstein advised Bannon: "In my view staying as much as you can in the UK. Best-- so people get the dedication of your follow through."
Shortly after, Epstein asked: "Will Theresa May survive". Bannon answered: "It seems unlikely however the people here have no balls" and noted "Boris ; Michael Gove; Jacob Rees-Mogg; David Davis - someone has to step up".
May was finally toppled in 2019 after surviving multiple attempts of no confidence in December 2018.
A representative for the political party told the BBC: "Farage has not been in a meeting with Bannon, Jacob Rees Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is nothing to suggest such a meeting took place.
The US House of Representatives will vote soon on whether the Department of Justice should make public all its records related to its investigation into Epstein, who died in jail in 2019.
Attention in Epstein's associations with influential individuals was renewed this week after the release of over 20,000 pages from his estate.
A portion of those mentioned Trump, who has repeatedly rejected any impropriety. The president was a acquaintance of Epstein's for a long time, but says they parted ways in the 2000s, two years before Epstein was initially charged.