Disgraced pedophile Jeffrey Epstein gifted podcaster Steve Bannon an Apple Watch in 2019, according to a message from Bannon's nephew to an Epstein associate.
"Hey Lesley," wrote Bannon's nephew, Sean, referencing Epstein's longtime assistant Lesley Groff. "Steve has been given his Apple Watch! Please let me know if you need anything else." An unnamed Epstein associate sent the message to Epstein on the evening of Jan. 24, 2019, with the subject line, "Steve Bannon has his Apple Watch."
That email was revealed in documents released Friday by the Department of Justice. Bannon received the watch just months before Epstein was arrested in July 2019 and charged with sex trafficking minors.
Epstein bought the watch for Bannon around the time he purchased a trove of Apple Watches for a group of friends that included Kathryn Ruemmler, the former Obama White House counsel. Ruemmler received an edition of the watch bearing the logo of the French luxury brand Hermes, the Washington Free Beacon reported. In a November 2018 email, a redacted Epstein associate emailed Epstein to ask, "Shall we purchase the Hermes Apple Watch and Hermes bands for both Steve and Sean Bannon? (this would be the top of the line. The face of the watch says 'Hermes Paris') $1499 each."
"[n]o," Epstein responded.
Bannon, like Ruemmler, advised Epstein on media strategies as Epstein faced renewed scrutiny over his criminal behavior. Bannon planned to produce a documentary meant to rehabilitate Epstein's image, according to the Hollywood Reporter, and at one point floated filming it "on the island," a reference to Epstein's private island in the Caribbean where he sexually abused minors. Bannon texted Epstein to schedule a filming date on the same day Epstein was arrested in 2019, the outlet reported.
Bannon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
