Messages Uncover the late financier and former Trump strategist Connection

Steve Bannon
Bannon served as the former president's top advisers before stepping down from the administration in August 2017

In November 2018, Steve Bannon, previously a top aide to Donald Trump, visited the UK preparing for a address at the Oxford Union.

The event was disrupted by numerous protesters, and Bannon, scheduled to board a flight that evening, informed Jeffrey Epstein in an message: "Activists slowed down my talk don't think I can make the flight we r enroute to the airport".

Epstein replied: "There. Is a gulf air departing at 9:50 with a stop in Bahrain". Bannon answered: "U r an amazing assistant".

These messages were released on Wednesday alongside over 20,000 pages from the estate of Epstein, the late financier convicted of sex crimes.

The release by the Congressional committee includes an iMessage chat where Bannon's identity is redacted. Media outlets has been able to establish his identity by cross-referencing the timeline, occurrences, and locations mentioned.

For example, Epstein talks about chartering a jet from Scotland for the unnamed individual in the messages, and commends their "address at Oxford". Bannon participated in the Edinburgh conference on 14 November, and delivered the talk at the Oxford Union two days later.

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 was one of Trump's closest aides in the lead-up to the presidential election and in the early days of his first administration, but stepped down from the White House in 2017.

He has admitted he was producing a documentary about Epstein before his death and allegedly has approximately 15 hours of recordings. In a live taping of his show recently, he said: "We plan to publish the series, the multi-part documentary, next year - early next year."

But the newly released documents suggest Bannon's relationship with Epstein extended than being his biographer, with the convicted paedophile at times appearing to serve like a personal assistant.

A short time prior to the conversation in which Epstein appeared to have booked a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein said: "how does it feel to have the highest-paid travel agent in history ".

Bannon expressed gratitude: "U r pretty good asst", to which Epstein replied "Massages. Excluded".

Discussing a trip to "AD" in a separate text, Epstein assured Bannon: "I'll make sure you're taken care of."

British Affairs Mentioned in Messages

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

Earlier on the day of his speech at the Oxford, Bannon messaged Epstein: "I became involved in the Brexit issue this morning with Nigel, Boris and Rees Mogg."

Then, in what appears to be a reference to Theresa May, the struggling British leader at the period, he continued: "The guys are trying to move on. may soon…"

Epstein suggested Bannon: "In my view staying as long as you can uk. Ideal- so people get the commitment of your follow-up."

Soon after, Epstein inquired: "Can Theresa may survive". Bannon replied: "It seems unlikely however the guys over here have no balls" and noted "Johnson ; Michael Gove; Jacob Rees-Mogg; Davis - someone has to step up".

May was eventually toppled in 2019 after surviving multiple attempts of no confidence in December 2018.

A spokesman for the political party told the BBC: "Nigel Farage has never been in a meeting with Bannon, Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is no evidence such a meeting took place.

The US House of Representatives will vote next week on whether the justice department should make public all its files related to its investigation into Epstein, who passed away in jail in that year.

Attention in Epstein's relationships with powerful figures was renewed recently after the publication of more than 20,000 documents from his archives.

A portion of those referenced Trump, who has consistently rejected any impropriety. The leader was a acquaintance of Epstein's for years, but claims they fell out in the 2000s, a couple of years before Epstein was first arrested.

Ashley Fox
Ashley Fox

A tech journalist and innovation strategist with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and digital trends.