🔗 Share this article

In November 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly Donald Trump's chief strategist, visited the UK to deliver a speech at the prestigious Oxford Union.

The event was interrupted by hundreds of protesters, and Bannon, scheduled to travel that evening, told Jeffrey Epstein in an email: "Activists delayed my talk I doubt I can make the plane we r enroute to the airport".

Epstein replied: "That. Is a gulf air departing at 9:50 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon answered: "You are an amazing assistant".

These exchanges were released on this week together with more than 20,000 documents from the records of Epstein, the late financier convicted of sex crimes.

The release by the House oversight committee includes an iMessage chat where Bannon's identity is withheld. The BBC managed to establish his identity by matching the dates, events, and locations mentioned.

For instance, Epstein discusses arranging a plane from the UK for the unnamed individual in the messages, and commends their "Oxford speech". Bannon took part in the Edinburgh conference on 14 November, and gave the speech at the Oxford Union two days later.

Bannon, who faces no allegations of any wrongdoing, did not reply on the inquiry.

'I'll make sure you're well looked after'

Bannon was one of Trump's closest aides in the lead-up to the 2016 election and in the early days of his presidency, but resigned from the administration in August 2017.

He has admitted he was making a documentary about Epstein before his death and reportedly has around 15 hours of footage. In a recording of his show recently, he said: "We're going to publish the film, the five-part series, next year - at the start of next year."

But the newly released materials indicate Bannon's relationship with Epstein extended than documenting his life, with the disgraced financier occasionally seeming to act like a aide.

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 most highly paid travel agent in history ".

Bannon thanked him: "You are pretty good asst", to which Epstein responded "Therapies. Not Included".

Discussing a trip to "AD" in another message, Epstein told Bannon: "I will ensure you are well looked after."

British Affairs Mentioned in Messages

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

Earlier on the same day his speech at the Oxford, Bannon texted Epstein: "I've gotten pulled into the Brexit thing this morning with Nigel, Johnson and Mogg."

Then, in what seems like a allusion to Theresa May, the struggling UK prime minister at the time, he added: "They are trying to move on. May soon…"

Epstein suggested Bannon: "I think remaining as much as you can uk. Best-- so people get the dedication of your follow through."

Soon after, Epstein asked: "Will Theresa may survive". Bannon replied: "It seems unlikely BUT the people over here have little courage" and added "Johnson ; Michael Gove; Rees Mogg; David Davis - somebody has to step up".

Theresa May was finally toppled in May 2019 after surviving two votes of lack of support in December 2018.

A spokesman for Reform UK told media: "Nigel Farage has never been in a gathering with Steve Bannon, Jacob Rees Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is no evidence such a meeting took place.

The Congress will vote next week on whether the justice department should make public all its records concerning its probe into Epstein, who passed away in jail in 2019.

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 consistently rejected any impropriety. The president was a friend of Epstein's for years, but claims they parted ways in the 2000s, two years before Epstein was initially charged.