🔗 Share this article

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

The speech was disrupted by hundreds of protesters, and Bannon, scheduled to board a flight that night, told Jeffrey Epstein in an message: "Activists slowed down speech I doubt I can catch the flight we r enroute to heathrow".

Epstein replied: "That. Is a Gulf Air that leaves at 950 with a stop in Bahrain". Bannon answered: "U r an excellent assistant".

These messages were published on this week alongside more than 20,000 documents from the estate of Epstein, the late convicted sex offender.

The disclosure by the House oversight committee contains an iMessage chat where Bannon's name is redacted. The BBC managed to establish his involvement by matching the timeline, occurrences, and locations mentioned.

For instance, Epstein talks about arranging a jet from Scotland for the redacted user in the chat, 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 is not accused of any wrongdoing, did not reply on the request for comment.

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

Bannon was one of the president's closest advisers in the run up to the 2016 election and in the early days of his first administration, but stepped down from the administration in August 2017.

He has admitted he was producing a documentary about Epstein prior to his death and allegedly has around 15 hours of recordings. In a live taping of his podcast earlier this year, he said: "We're going to publish the series, the five-part series, next year - at the start of next year."

But the recently disclosed materials indicate Bannon's connection with Epstein went further than documenting his life, with the convicted paedophile at times appearing to serve like a aide.

A few days before the exchange in which Epstein seemed to arranged a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein said: "how does it feel to have the most highly paid booking agent in the world ".

Bannon thanked him: "U r pretty good asst", to which Epstein responded "Massages. Not Included".

Discussing a visit to "AD" in a separate text, Epstein assured Bannon: "I'll make sure you're well looked after."

British Affairs Mentioned in Exchanges

The published communications also show Bannon and Epstein talking about British political matters in that year.

On the same day his address at the Oxford, Bannon messaged Epstein: "I became involved in the Brexit issue this day with Farage, Johnson and Rees Mogg."

Then, in what seems like a allusion to Theresa May, the struggling British leader at the period, he continued: "The guys are trying to proceed. May today / tomorrow…"

Epstein suggested Bannon: "I think remaining as long as you can uk. Best-- so others see the commitment of your follow-up."

Soon after, Epstein inquired: "Can Theresa may survive". Bannon replied: "It seems unlikely BUT the guys here have little courage" and noted "Boris ; Michael Gove; Jacob Rees-Mogg; Davis - someone has to step up".

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

A spokesman for Reform UK told media: "Farage has not been in a gathering with Bannon, Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is no evidence that encounter occurred.

The US House of Representatives will decide soon on whether the justice department should release all its records concerning its probe into Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.

Interest in Epstein's associations with powerful figures was renewed recently after the publication of over 20,000 pages from his archives.

A portion of those referenced Trump, who has consistently rejected any wrongdoing. The president was a friend of Epstein's for years, but claims they fell out in the early 2000s, two years prior to Epstein was first arrested.