Emails Reveal the late financier and Steve Bannon Ties

Steve Bannon
Bannon was one of Trump's closest advisers prior to stepping down from the White House in August 2017

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

The speech was disrupted by numerous demonstrators, and Bannon, who was due to travel that evening, told Jeffrey Epstein in an message: "Protesters slowed down my talk I doubt I can catch 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 together with over 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 identity is withheld. The BBC has been able to confirm his identity by cross-referencing the dates, occurrences, and places referenced.

For example, Epstein discusses chartering a plane from Scotland for the redacted user in the chat, and commends their "address at Oxford". Bannon participated in the Edinburgh conference on 14 November, and gave the talk at the Oxford two days later.

Bannon, who faces no allegations of any wrongdoing, declined to comment on the request for comment.

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

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

He has acknowledged he was making a film about Epstein prior to his death and reportedly has around 15 hours of recordings. In a live taping of his show recently, he stated: "We're going to publish the series, the multi-part documentary, next year - at the start of next year."

But the newly released documents indicate 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 short time prior to the conversation in which Epstein appeared to have arranged a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein said: "what's it like to have the highest-paid travel agent in the world ".

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

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

UK Politics Mentioned in Exchanges

The published messages also show Bannon and Epstein talking about UK politics in 2018.

On the day of his address at the Oxford, Bannon messaged Epstein: "I've gotten pulled into the Brexit thing this morning with Nigel, Johnson and Mogg."

Then, in what seems like a allusion to the UK prime minister, the struggling UK prime minister at the time, he added: "They are trying to proceed. May soon…"

Epstein suggested Bannon: "I think staying as much as you can uk. Ideal- so people see the commitment of your follow through."

Shortly after, Epstein asked: "Will Theresa May survive". Bannon answered: "I don't see how BUT the people here have little courage" and noted "Johnson ; Gove; Rees Mogg; David Davis - somebody has to step up".

Theresa May was eventually removed in May 2019 after surviving two votes of lack of support in December 2018.

A spokesman for Reform UK informed the BBC: "Nigel Farage has not been in a meeting with Steve Bannon, Jacob Rees Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is nothing to suggest that encounter occurred.

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

Attention in Epstein's relationships with powerful figures was reignited recently after the publication of over 20,000 pages from his archives.

Some of those mentioned Trump, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing. The president was a friend of Epstein's for a long time, but claims they parted ways in the 2000s, two years before Epstein was first arrested.

Michelle Hall
Michelle Hall

A fintech journalist based in Amsterdam, specializing in blockchain technologies and digital payment systems.

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