🔗 Share this article Messages Reveal the late financier and Steve Bannon Ties Bannon served as the former president's top advisers before stepping down from the administration in August 2017 In late 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly Donald Trump's chief strategist, visited the UK to deliver a address at the Oxford Union. The speech was disrupted by numerous demonstrators, and Bannon, who was due to travel that evening, told Jeffrey Epstein in an message: "Activists slowed down speech I doubt I can catch the flight we are heading to heathrow". Epstein replied: "There. Is a Gulf Air departing at 950 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon replied: "U r an excellent helper". These exchanges were released on Wednesday together with over 20,000 documents from the estate of Epstein, the deceased financier convicted of sex crimes. The release by the Congressional committee contains an iMessage chat where Bannon's name is withheld. The BBC managed to confirm his involvement by matching the timeline, events, and locations referenced. For instance, Epstein discusses arranging a jet from Scotland for the unnamed individual in the messages, and offers praise their "address at Oxford". Bannon took part in the Edinburgh conference on 14 November, and gave the speech at the Oxford on November 16. Bannon, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, declined to comment 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 2016 election and in the early days of his first administration, but stepped down from the administration in 2017. He has admitted he was producing a documentary about Epstein prior to his passing and allegedly has around 15 hours of recordings. In a live taping of his show recently, he stated: "We plan to release the series, the five-part series, next year - at the start of next year." But the newly released materials indicate Bannon's connection with Epstein went further than documenting his life, with the disgraced financier at times appearing to serve like a aide. A short time prior to the conversation in which Epstein seemed to arranged a private plane for Bannon, Epstein remarked: "how does it feel to have the highest-paid travel agent in history ". Bannon thanked him: "U r quite capable assistant", to which Epstein replied "Therapies. Excluded". Discussing a visit to "AD" in another message, Epstein assured Bannon: "I will ensure you're taken care of." British Affairs Discussed in Messages The published communications also reveal Bannon and Epstein talking about UK politics in that year. On the same day his speech at the Oxford, Bannon texted Epstein: "I've gotten pulled into the EU exit issue this day with Nigel, Boris and Rees Mogg." Then, in what appears to be a allusion to Theresa May, the struggling British leader at the time, he continued: "The guys are trying to move on. May soon…" Epstein suggested Bannon: "In my view remaining as much as you can in the UK. Ideal- so others get the commitment of your follow-up." Shortly after, Epstein inquired: "Will Theresa may survive". Bannon replied: "It seems unlikely BUT the guys here have no balls" and added "Boris ; Gove; Jacob Rees-Mogg; David Davis - somebody has to step up". Theresa May was finally removed in May 2019 after withstanding multiple attempts of no confidence in December 2018. A spokesman for the political party told media: "Farage has not been in a gathering with Bannon, Jacob Rees Mogg and Johnson." And there is no evidence that encounter took place. The Congress will decide next week on whether the justice department should release all its files related to its probe into Epstein, who passed away in jail in that year. Interest in Epstein's associations with influential individuals was reignited recently after the publication of over 20,000 documents from his archives. Some of those referenced the former president, who has consistently rejected any wrongdoing. The president was a acquaintance of Epstein's for a long time, but claims they fell out in the early 2000s, a couple of years before Epstein was first arrested.