Jeffrey Epstein maintained regular and sometimes daily contact with MAGA influencer and former Trump official Steve Bannon leading up to Epstein's 2019 arrest, and transcripts recently compiled by journalist Ellie Leonard show their exchanges ended with Epstein leaving “one last eerie message," Leonard wrote Saturday.
Much has been reported on the friendship between Epstein and Bannon, with last month’s release of around 20,000 files from Epstein’s estate revealing that the two had far more than a professional relationship.
The two reportedly struck up a friendship in 2017, and communicated with each other through both email and text messages – often on a daily basis – and discussed everything from global affairs to their shared criticisms of President Donald Trump. Bannon also advised Epstein on how to restore his reputation in the wake of his 2008 conviction on child prostitution.
Their final exchange, however, which occurred the same day Epstein was arrested on sex-trafficking charges, raised a few eyebrows.
Bannon asked Epstein via text message on July 7, 2019, if he intended on seeing “Watson,” which Leonard identified as being James Watson, an American geneticist who died last month.
“Yes, and you are coming,” Epstein replied.
Bannon, who at the time was recording a documentary that included hours of footage of the disgraced financier, went on to ask Epstein if it could be arranged to “film on the island,” presumably a reference to Epstein's private island Little Saint James in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“Yes,” Epstein responded.
Bannon then asked to narrow down a time for his request, to which Epstein responded abruptly with what would be his final message to Bannon before his arrest at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey that same day.
“All canceled,” Epstein wrote.
“You r not coming in?” Bannon responded, and a response that would forever go un-replied to.
It’s unclear why Epstein appeared to abruptly cancel plans with Bannon without explanation, and 33 days later in August, would end up dead in his New York prison cell under suspicious circumstances in what was ultimately ruled a suicide.