The detail emerged from a message disclosed by the Department of Justice, as reported by The Washington Free Beacon, in which Bannon’s nephew informed Epstein’s inner circle that the gift had been received. “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 forwarded that message to Epstein on the evening of Jan. 24, 2019, under the subject line, “Steve Bannon has his Apple Watch.” The correspondence shows Bannon obtained the device just months before Epstein’s July 2019 arrest on charges of sex trafficking minors.
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The watch was part of a broader shopping spree in which Epstein acquired multiple Apple Watches for a circle of well-connected acquaintances, including Kathryn Ruemmler, the former Obama White House counsel. Ruemmler received a high-end edition featuring the logo of French luxury house Hermès, the Washington Free Beacon reported, underscoring Epstein’s efforts to cultivate influence among powerful political and legal figures.
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In a November 2018 email, a redacted Epstein associate asked Epstein, “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, indicating he was willing to extend gifts but not necessarily the most extravagant versions to every recipient.
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Bannon, like Ruemmler, was among those who advised Epstein on media strategy as the financier faced renewed scrutiny over his criminal past. 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 Caribbean island where he sexually abused minors.
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The Hollywood Reporter further noted that Bannon texted Epstein to set a filming date on the very day Epstein was arrested in 2019, suggesting their collaboration continued up to the brink of Epstein’s downfall. Bannon did not immediately respond to a request for comment, leaving unanswered why a prominent conservative media figure was willing to assist a convicted predator in reshaping his public image.
