🔗 Share this article

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

The speech was disrupted by hundreds of protesters, and Bannon, who was due to board a flight that evening, informed Jeffrey Epstein in an email: "Protesters slowed down my talk don't think I can make the plane we are heading to the airport".

Epstein responded: "There. Is a gulf air that leaves at 9:50 with a stop in Bahrain". Bannon answered: "You are an amazing assistant".

These messages were released on Wednesday together with more than 20,000 pages from the estate of Epstein, the deceased financier convicted of sex crimes.

The release by the House oversight committee includes an text conversation where Bannon's name is redacted. The BBC has been able to confirm his identity by cross-referencing the timeline, occurrences, and locations referenced.

For instance, Epstein discusses chartering a jet from the UK for the unnamed individual in the messages, and commends their "address at Oxford". Bannon took part in the News Xchange conference on 14 November, and gave the talk at the Oxford on November 16.

Bannon, who is not accused of any misconduct, did not reply on the request for comment.

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

Bannon was one of Trump's key advisers in the lead-up to the presidential election and in the early days of his presidency, but resigned from the White House in 2017.

He has admitted he was making a documentary about Epstein prior to his passing and reportedly has around 15 hours of recordings. In a recording of his podcast earlier this year, he stated: "We're going to publish the film, the multi-part documentary, next year - at the start of next year."

But the newly released documents indicate Bannon's connection with Epstein extended than documenting his life, with the convicted paedophile occasionally appearing to serve like a personal assistant.

A few days prior to the exchange in which Epstein seemed to arranged a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein remarked: "what's it like to have the highest-paid travel agent in the world ".

Bannon thanked him: "U r pretty good assistant", to which Epstein replied "Massages. Excluded".

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

UK Politics Mentioned in Exchanges

The released communications also reveal Bannon and Epstein talking about UK politics in that year.

On the same day his address at the Oxford, Bannon texted Epstein: "I became involved in the EU exit thing this morning with Nigel, Johnson and Rees Mogg."

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

Epstein suggested Bannon: "In my view staying as long as you can in the UK. Best-- so people see the commitment of your follow through."

Soon after, Epstein asked: "Will Theresa may survive". Bannon answered: "I don't see how BUT the guys here have no balls" and added "Boris ; Michael Gove; Jacob Rees-Mogg; Davis - somebody has to take charge".

Theresa May was finally removed in May 2019 after surviving two votes of no confidence in late 2018.

A representative for the political party told media: "Nigel Farage has never been in a gathering with Steve Bannon, Rees-Mogg and Johnson." And there is nothing to suggest that encounter took place.

The Congress will vote next week on whether the Department of Justice should release all its files concerning its probe into Epstein, who died in jail in 2019.

Attention in Epstein's associations with influential individuals was renewed recently after the release of more than 20,000 pages from his estate.

Some of those mentioned the former president, who has consistently rejected any wrongdoing. The president was a acquaintance of Epstein's for a long time, but says they fell out in the early 2000s, two years prior to Epstein was first arrested.