In November 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly Donald Trump's chief strategist, was in the UK preparing for a speech at the Oxford Union.
The event was interrupted by hundreds of protesters and Bannon, who was due to board a flight that night, told Jeffrey Epstein in an email: Protesters slowed down speech don't think I can make the flight we r enroute to heathrow.
Epstein replied: There. Is a gulf air that leaves at 950 with a stop in Bahrain. Bannon responded: U r an amazing assistant.
The messages were published alongside over 20,000 pages of documents from Epstein's estate, shedding light on their complicated relationship. These documents included an iMessage chat, presumably involving Bannon under a redacted name.
Bannon is not accused of any wrongdoing and did not respond to BBC's request for comment.
'I'll make sure you're well looked after'
Bannon was a central figure during Trump's 2016 election campaign but resigned from his White House position in August 2017. He acknowledged his work on a documentary about Epstein prior to the latter's death in 2019.
The newly released messages show Epstein sometimes acting as Bannon's personal assistant, arranging charter flights and commenting on Bannon's speeches, which raises questions about the nature of their relationship.
On another occasion, Epstein jokingly referred to himself as the most highly paid travel agent in history, showcasing the depth of their interactions.
In political discussions leading up to the UK’s political changes, Bannon's messages reveal his involvement with figures such as Boris Johnson, linking them with Brexit developments.
This growing narrative of Epstein's relationships with powerful individuals has prompted further investigation, as Congress prepares to vote on releasing more files related to his activities before his tragic death.
