Newly released documents from the Department of Justice detail how Steve Bannon, a close ally of President Donald Trump, advised Jeffrey Epstein on a strategy to improve his public image months before Epstein’s 2019 arrest on federal sex trafficking charges.
These records, released as part of a larger disclosure of Epstein-related materials, include communications between Bannon and Epstein that outline a public relations plan following Epstein’s earlier conviction for sex crimes.
“First we need to push back on the lies. Then crush the pedo/trafficking narrative. Then rebuild your image as philanthropist,” Bannon wrote to Epstein in April 2019, according to documents obtained by Business Insider reporter Jacob Shamsian.
The correspondence reveals Bannon’s role during a time when Epstein was trying to reconnect with political and financial circles after his 2008 conviction in Florida for soliciting a minor. Epstein served 13 months in county jail under a controversial plea deal that later faced criticism from federal prosecutors and lawmakers.
The newly released materials show that Bannon’s contact with Epstein continued in the months leading up to Epstein’s July 2019 arrest on federal sex trafficking charges in New York. According to Business Insider’s reporting on the documents, Bannon discussed image repair efforts even as scrutiny of Epstein’s activities grew.
Here is Steve Bannon’s plane ticket to the US Virgin Islands, a few weeks before Jeffrey Epstein’s arrest.
Epstein told an assistant to arrange for 2 rooms for Bannon’s associates: “Steve will stay on the island.” pic.twitter.com/QbkjYvsd5F
— Jacob Shamsian ⚖️ (@JayShams) February 19, 2026
A month after the April 2019 message, Bannon was reportedly planning a trip to Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the documents reviewed by Shamsian. This island, Little St. James, was the site of many of the alleged crimes listed in federal indictments and civil lawsuits filed by accusers.
Epstein was arrested in July 2019 and charged in the Southern District of New York with sex trafficking minors and conspiracy. Prosecutors claimed he exploited dozens of underage girls over many years. He died in August 2019 at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan while awaiting trial. The New York City medical examiner ruled his death a suicide.
Bannon, who was chief strategist during the early months of Trump’s first term, has previously acknowledged meeting with Epstein after leaving the White House but stated that their interactions were limited. The new communications provide more detail about the nature of those contacts, which contradict’s his claims.
The Justice Department’s release of the documents comes amid ongoing public and congressional demands for more transparency regarding Epstein’s associates and how the investigation was handled. Lawmakers from both parties have called for additional records to be unsealed, arguing that transparency is necessary to restore public trust.
Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s long-time associate, was convicted in 2021 on federal sex trafficking charges and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Since Maxwell’s conviction, federal prosecutors have not announced new criminal charges against other prominent individuals connected to Epstein’s network.
Maxwell has offered to clear Trump and Bill Clinton’s name in exchange for clemency after being moved to a more comfortable prison.
The documents do not suggest that Bannon faced any criminal charges related to Epstein. They focus on discussions about shaping public perception rather than any allegations of illegal conduct by Bannon.
Business Insider reported that these communications were part of thousands of pages released in the Justice Department’s expanded document disclosure related to the Epstein case.
