Correspondence Highlight the late financier and Steve Bannon Connection
In November 2018, Steve Bannon, previously Donald Trump's chief strategist, was in the UK to deliver a address at the Oxford Union.
The event was disrupted by numerous protesters, and Bannon, who was due to board a flight that night, informed Jeffrey Epstein in an email: "Activists slowed down speech I doubt I can make the plane we r enroute to the airport".
Epstein responded: "That. Is a gulf air that leaves at 950 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon replied: "You are an excellent assistant".
These exchanges were released on this week alongside over 20,000 pages from the records of Epstein, the late convicted sex offender.
The release by the Congressional committee contains an text conversation where Bannon's identity is withheld. Media outlets managed to establish his identity by matching the timeline, occurrences, and locations referenced.
For example, Epstein discusses arranging a plane from the UK for the unnamed individual in the messages, and offers praise their "Oxford speech". Bannon took part in the Edinburgh conference on 14 November, and delivered the talk 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 served as the president's closest advisers in the lead-up to the presidential election and in the early days of his first administration, but resigned from the White House in August 2017.
He has admitted he was producing a documentary about Epstein prior to his passing and reportedly has around 15 hours of footage. In a live taping of his podcast earlier this year, he stated: "We're going to publish the series, 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 at times seeming to act like a personal assistant.
A few days before the exchange in which Epstein seemed to booked a private plane for Bannon, Epstein said: "what's it like to have the most highly paid booking agent in history ".
Bannon expressed gratitude: "You are pretty good assistant", to which Epstein replied "Therapies. Excluded".
Discussing a visit to "AD" in another message, Epstein told Bannon: "I'll make sure you're taken care of."
UK Politics Discussed in Exchanges
The released messages also show Bannon and Epstein discussing UK politics in 2018.
Earlier on the same day his speech at the Oxford Union, Bannon texted Epstein: "I became involved in the Brexit issue this morning with Nigel, Johnson and Rees Mogg."
Then, in what appears to be a allusion to the UK prime minister, the embattled British leader at the time, he continued: "The guys are trying to move on. may today / tomorrow…"
Epstein suggested Bannon: "In my view remaining as much as you can in the UK. Ideal- so people get the dedication of your follow through."
Soon after, Epstein inquired: "Will Theresa May survive". Bannon replied: "I don't see how BUT the people here have no balls" and noted "Johnson ; Gove; Rees Mogg; David Davis - somebody has to step up".
Theresa May was finally removed in May 2019 after withstanding multiple attempts of lack of support in late 2018.
A spokesman for Reform UK told media: "Farage has never been in a gathering with Bannon, Rees-Mogg and Johnson." And there is nothing to suggest that encounter occurred.
The Congress will decide soon on whether the Department of Justice should make public all its records concerning its probe into Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.
Interest in Epstein's associations with influential individuals was reignited this week after the publication of over 20,000 pages from his archives.
Some of those referenced the former president, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. The leader was a friend of Epstein's for years, but claims they parted ways in the early 2000s, a couple of years before Epstein was initially charged.