Emails Reveal the late financier and former Trump strategist Connection
In late 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly a top aide to Donald Trump, visited the UK preparing for a speech at the Oxford Union.
The speech was interrupted by hundreds of protesters, and Bannon, scheduled to travel that night, told Jeffrey Epstein in an message: "Protesters slowed down speech don't think I can make the plane we are heading to heathrow".
Epstein responded: "That. Is a Gulf Air that leaves at 950 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon replied: "U r an excellent assistant".
These messages were published on Wednesday together with more than 20,000 pages from the estate of Epstein, the late convicted sex offender.
The disclosure by the Congressional committee includes an text conversation where Bannon's identity is redacted. The BBC managed to establish his identity by cross-referencing the timeline, occurrences, and places referenced.
For example, Epstein talks about arranging a plane from the UK for the redacted user in the messages, and commends their "Oxford speech". Bannon participated in the Edinburgh conference on 14 November, and gave the talk at the Oxford Union on November 16.
Bannon, who faces no allegations of any wrongdoing, did not reply on the request for comment.
'I'll make sure you're well looked after'
Bannon served as Trump's key aides in the run up to the presidential election and during the initial phase of his presidency, but resigned from the White House in 2017.
He has acknowledged he was producing a film about Epstein before his passing and reportedly has approximately 15 hours of footage. In a live taping of his show recently, he stated: "We're going to publish the series, the multi-part documentary, in the coming year - early next year."
But the newly released materials suggest Bannon's connection with Epstein extended than being his biographer, with the disgraced financier occasionally seeming to act like a personal assistant.
A short time prior to the exchange in which Epstein seemed to arranged a private plane for Bannon, Epstein said: "what's it like to have the most highly paid booking agent in history ".
Bannon thanked him: "You are pretty good assistant", to which Epstein replied "Massages. Not Included".
Discussing a trip to "Abu Dhabi" in a separate text, Epstein assured Bannon: "I will ensure you're taken care of."
British Affairs Discussed in Messages
The published communications also reveal Bannon and Epstein discussing British political matters in 2018.
Earlier on the same day his speech at the Oxford Union, Bannon messaged Epstein: "I've gotten pulled into the EU exit issue this morning with Nigel, Johnson and Mogg."
Then, in what appears to be 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. Ideal- so people get the dedication of your follow through."
Soon after, Epstein asked: "Will Theresa may survive". Bannon replied: "I don't see how however the guys here have no balls" and noted "Johnson ; Gove; Jacob Rees-Mogg; David Davis - someone has to step up".
May was finally removed in May 2019 after surviving two votes of lack of support in December 2018.
A representative for the political party told the BBC: "Farage has never been in a gathering with Bannon, Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is nothing to suggest that encounter occurred.
The US House of Representatives will decide next week 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 relationships with powerful figures was reignited this week after the publication of more than 20,000 documents from his estate.
A portion of those mentioned the former president, who has consistently rejected any wrongdoing. The leader was a acquaintance of Epstein's for years, but says they parted ways in the early 2000s, a couple of years before Epstein was first arrested.