🔗 Share this article

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

The speech was disrupted by hundreds of protesters, and Bannon, scheduled to board a flight that night, told Jeffrey Epstein in an email: "Activists delayed speech I doubt I can catch the flight we r enroute to heathrow".

Epstein replied: "That. Is a Gulf Air departing at 950 with a stop in Bahrain". Bannon replied: "U r an amazing helper".

These messages were released on this week alongside over 20,000 documents from the estate of Epstein, the deceased convicted sex offender.

The release by the House oversight committee includes an iMessage chat where Bannon's identity is withheld. The BBC has been able to confirm his involvement by matching the dates, events, and places mentioned.

For example, Epstein talks about arranging a plane from Scotland for the redacted user in the chat, and offers praise their "address at Oxford". Bannon participated in the News Xchange conference on 14 November, and gave the talk at the Oxford Union on November 16.

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

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

Bannon served as Trump's closest aides in the run up to the presidential election and in the early days of his first administration, but resigned from the White House in 2017.

He has admitted he was producing a documentary about Epstein before his death and allegedly has around 15 hours of footage. In a live taping of his podcast earlier this year, he stated: "We're going to release the series, the five-part series, in the coming year - at the start of next year."

But the recently disclosed documents indicate Bannon's relationship with Epstein extended than documenting his life, with the disgraced financier occasionally seeming to act like a aide.

A short time before the exchange in which Epstein appeared to have booked a private plane for Bannon, Epstein remarked: "how does it feel to have the most highly paid travel agent in the world ".

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

Discussing a trip to "Abu Dhabi" in another message, Epstein told Bannon: "I'll make sure you are well looked after."

UK Politics Discussed in Messages

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

On the day of his speech at the Oxford Union, Bannon texted Epstein: "I became involved in the Brexit issue this morning with Farage, Johnson and Mogg."

Then, in what seems like a reference to Theresa May, the embattled UK prime minister at the time, he added: "They are attempting to proceed. may today / tomorrow…"

Epstein suggested Bannon: "I think remaining as long as you can in the UK. Best-- so others get the dedication of your follow through."

Soon after, Epstein inquired: "Will Theresa May remain in power". Bannon replied: "I don't see how however the people over here have little courage" and noted "Boris ; 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 December 2018.

A representative for Reform UK told media: "Farage has not been in a meeting with Steve Bannon, Jacob Rees Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is no evidence such a meeting took place.

The Congress will decide soon on whether the justice department should release all its records related to its investigation into Epstein, who died in jail in 2019.

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

A portion of those referenced Trump, who has consistently rejected any wrongdoing. The leader was a acquaintance of Epstein's for a long time, but says they fell out in the early 2000s, two years prior to Epstein was initially charged.