Messages Reveal the late financier and Steve Bannon Relationship

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

In November 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly a top aide to Donald Trump, was in the UK preparing for a speech at the Oxford Union.

The speech was disrupted by hundreds of demonstrators, and Bannon, who was due to travel that night, informed Jeffrey Epstein in an email: "Protesters delayed speech I doubt I can catch the plane we are heading to the airport".

Epstein replied: "That. Is a Gulf Air departing at 9:50 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon replied: "U r an excellent helper".

These exchanges were published on Wednesday alongside more than 20,000 pages from the records of Epstein, the deceased financier convicted of sex crimes.

The release by the House oversight committee includes an iMessage chat where Bannon's identity is withheld. Media outlets managed to confirm his involvement by cross-referencing the dates, occurrences, and places referenced.

For instance, Epstein talks about arranging a plane from Scotland for the unnamed individual in the chat, and offers praise their "Oxford speech". Bannon took part in the News Xchange conference on 14 November, and delivered the talk at the Oxford on November 16.

Bannon, who faces no allegations of any misconduct, did not reply on the inquiry.

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

Bannon was one of the president's closest aides in the run up to the 2016 election and in the early days of his first administration, but resigned from the administration in 2017.

He has admitted he was making a documentary about Epstein before his death and reportedly has around 15 hours of recordings. In a live taping of his podcast recently, he said: "We're going to publish the film, the five-part series, in the coming year - early next year."

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

A few days before the conversation in which Epstein appeared to have booked a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein said: "what's it like to have the highest-paid booking agent in the world ".

Bannon thanked him: "U r pretty good assistant", to which Epstein responded "Massages. Not Included".

Discussing a trip to "AD" in another message, Epstein told Bannon: "I'll make sure you are taken care of."

British Affairs Discussed in Messages

The released messages also show Bannon and Epstein discussing UK politics in 2018.

Earlier on the same day his speech at the Oxford, Bannon texted Epstein: "I became involved in the EU exit thing this morning with Nigel, Boris 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 attempting to move on. may today / tomorrow…"

Epstein advised Bannon: "In my view staying as much as you can uk. Best-- so others get the commitment of your follow through."

Soon after, Epstein asked: "Will Theresa may survive". Bannon answered: "It seems unlikely BUT the people over here have no balls" and noted "Boris ; Michael Gove; Rees Mogg; Davis - somebody has to take charge".

Theresa May was eventually toppled in 2019 after withstanding two votes of lack of support in late 2018.

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

The US House of Representatives will vote next week on whether the Department of Justice should release all its files related to its probe into Epstein, who passed away in jail in 2019.

Attention in Epstein's associations with powerful figures was renewed this week after the publication of over 20,000 documents from his estate.

Some of those referenced the former president, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing. The president was a acquaintance of Epstein's for a long time, but says they fell out in the 2000s, two years before Epstein was initially charged.

Katherine Patterson
Katherine Patterson

A seasoned journalist with over a decade of experience in digital media, specializing in UK current affairs and investigative reporting.