Emails Reveal the late financier and former Trump strategist Connection

Steve Bannon
Bannon served as Trump's closest strategists before stepping down from the White House in 2017

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

The event was interrupted by hundreds of protesters, and Bannon, who was due to travel that night, told Jeffrey Epstein in an email: "Protesters slowed down speech don't think I can catch the plane we r enroute to heathrow".

Epstein responded: "That. Is a gulf air departing at 950 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon replied: "U r an amazing helper".

These exchanges were published on this week together with more than 20,000 pages from the estate of Epstein, the late financier convicted of sex crimes.

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

For example, Epstein discusses chartering a plane from Scotland for the unnamed individual in the messages, and offers praise their "Oxford speech". Bannon participated in the Edinburgh conference on November 14, and delivered the talk at the Oxford 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 served as Trump's closest advisers in the run up to the presidential election and in the early days of his presidency, but stepped down from the administration in August 2017.

He has admitted he was producing a film about Epstein prior to his death and reportedly has approximately 15 hours of recordings. In a live taping of his podcast earlier this year, he said: "We plan to release the film, the multi-part documentary, in the coming year - early next year."

But the newly released documents suggest Bannon's connection with Epstein went further than being his biographer, with the disgraced financier occasionally seeming to act like a aide.

A short time before the exchange in which Epstein appeared to have arranged a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein said: "what's it like to have the highest-paid booking agent in the world ".

Bannon thanked him: "You are pretty good assistant", to which Epstein replied "Massages. Not Included".

Discussing a visit to "Abu Dhabi" in a separate text, Epstein assured Bannon: "I will ensure you're taken care of."

UK Politics Mentioned in Exchanges

The published communications also reveal Bannon and Epstein discussing British political matters in 2018.

Earlier on the day of his address at the Oxford Union, Bannon texted Epstein: "I've gotten pulled into the EU exit thing this day with Farage, Johnson and Rees Mogg."

Then, in what seems like a reference to the UK prime minister, the struggling UK prime minister at the period, he continued: "They are attempting to move on. May soon…"

Epstein advised Bannon: "I think staying as much as you can uk. Best-- so others see the dedication of your follow through."

Shortly after, Epstein asked: "Can Theresa May survive". Bannon replied: "It seems unlikely BUT the guys over here have little courage" and noted "Boris ; Michael Gove; Rees Mogg; Davis - somebody has to take charge".

May was eventually removed in 2019 after surviving multiple attempts of lack of support in December 2018.

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

The US House of Representatives will vote next week on whether the justice department should make public all its records concerning its probe into Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.

Attention in Epstein's associations with influential individuals was reignited this week after the release of over 20,000 pages from his archives.

A portion of those referenced Trump, 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 2000s, a couple of years before Epstein was first arrested.

Michael Brown
Michael Brown

A film critic and historian with over a decade of experience analyzing global cinema trends and storytelling techniques.