Epstein’s PR Scheme: Bannon, Trump & a Counter-Documentary

Newly released emails reveal Jeffrey Epstein and Steve Bannon planned a documentary to rehabilitate Epstein's image amidst sex trafficking allegations, also involving Trump ties.

” The tawdry side of the story has been told. We wish you can offer us some insight and context right into who he was prior to his life fell apart,” Malloy composed her on April 22, 2019, according to the freshly launched e-mails. “We thought of you due to your remarkable track record in the public relations and show business world and the fact that you were a colleague of Jeffrey Epstein.”

The exchange, initially reported by The Hollywood Reporter, was part of a big trove of e-mails released by legislators previously this month as analysis over Epstein’s ties to Trump and other high-profile individuals increased. It radiates a limelight on a behind the curtain media remodeling spearheaded by Bannon, that has consequently denied records of a relationship with the sponsor and has emerged as one of the loudest movie critics of the Trump administration’s refusal to launch the Epstein data. The e-mails recommend the ex-Trump consultant and frequenter to Epstein’s Manhattan mansion before his arrest might have been much more knowledgeable about Epstein’s conduct than he has actually publicly recognized while broadening the extent of the partnership between Wolff and the disgraced sex transgressor. Wolff decreased to comment for this article.

Epstein’s Media Strategy

Exhibition A: An e-mail with the subject line “Heads up” sent out to Epstein in December 2015 alerts him that CNN is “preparing to ask Trump tonight concerning his partnership with you– either on air or in scrum after that.”.

As Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich, the Netflix docuseries based upon the James Patterson publication, was materializing in late 2018, Epstein, Bannon and publicist Peggy Siegal, an one-time fixture in both the New York media scene and Hollywood’s honors period who helped help with the sponsor’s return to elite social circles, put their heads together to attempt to head off the damages. The inspiration was a request that FilthyRich manufacturers had sent out to Siegal asking her to chat on-camera.

Three months prior to Epstein’s arrest in July 2019, Tim Malloy, a TV reporter that composed guide with Patterson, asked Siegal if she might intend to show up in the show. Malloy noted the involvement of, among others, documentarian Joe Berlinger, who would certainly take place to function as an executive manufacturer on the collection.

The Epstein-funded doc was to include meetings with stars across media, academic community and national politics to improve the story. Amongst the high-profile individuals stated was Michael Wolff, an Epstein pal and enthusiastic historian of the Trump presidency that was advising Epstein at the time on exactly how to deal with negotiations with the president.

Bannon’s Involvement Revealed

The day of his apprehension on federal sex trafficking charges, Jeffrey Epstein was planning a docudrama to refurbish his picture, and to counter the soon-to-be-released Netflix docudrama Filthy Rich, a trove of newly released e-mails exposes. Previous Trump chief of team, Steve Bannon, that subsequently emerged as one of Epstein’s staunchest movie critics after his death.

Two months later, however, Bannon went back to the idea of a pro-Epstein docudrama. He got as far as arranging and coordinating meetings travel, with strategies to shoot at Little St. James, where the sponsor delighted famous close friends and presumably trafficked underage girls for sex.

“If we arrange it can we movie on the island,” Bannon asked, referring to Little St. James, Epstein’s private Caribbean island where he’s affirmed to have sexually abused minors. Epstein promptly agreed.

Bannon was snarky about what the series would certainly be. “Patterson, the Perversion of Justice Team, and the individual making the ‘Ted Bundy’ movie [Berlinger]– seems like a possible hagiography,” he claimed sardonically, subtextually suggesting Siegal should not participate (Perversion of Justice, Miami Herald author Julie Brown’s very successful publication, was not pointed out in the email and was not credited in the final collection). The thread ended there, and Siegal did not end up getting involved.

The day of his apprehension on government sex trafficking costs, Jeffrey Epstein was preparing a docudrama to refurbish his image, and to counter the soon-to-be-released Netflix docudrama Filthy Rich, a trove of freshly launched e-mails discloses. His partner in the project? Previous Trump chief of staff, Steve Bannon, that ultimately became one of Epstein’s staunchest critics after his death.

Counter-Documentary Plans

The exchange, initially reported by The Hollywood Press reporter, was component of a massive trove of e-mails released by lawmakers previously this month as scrutiny over Epstein’s ties to Trump and other high-profile people increased. It beams a spotlight on a behind the curtain media makeover spearheaded by Bannon, who has subsequently denied records of a relationship with the investor and has arised as one of the loudest doubters of the Trump administration’s refusal to launch the Epstein files. The e-mails recommend the ex-Trump advisor and frequent visitor to Epstein’s Manhattan estate prior to his apprehension may have been a lot more conscious of Epstein’s conduct than he has actually openly acknowledged while expanding the scope of the partnership in between Wolff and the disgraced sex culprit.

Emails reveal that Bannon was making arrangements for a redemptive documentary to counter damaging narratives progressed by Netflix’s ‘Jeffrey Epstein: Rich.’ Recorded on area in Little St. John Island, the deserted job was mosting likely to include testimonies by Epstein pals like Michael Wolff.

Siegal transformed to Epstein and Bannon. Epstein had a cinematic response.

In another e-mail depicting what appears to be a give-and-take connection, Wolff got suggestions from Epstein on what to ask Trump in a meeting, asking: “What’s the one concern that punctures through.” Epstein answered just hours later.

Wolff replied: “I believe you need to allow him hang himself. That offers you an important PR and political money if he claims he hasn’t been on the aircraft or to the home. You can hang him in a way that potentially creates a favorable advantage for you, or, if it actually looks like he can win, you could conserve him, creating a debt.”.

One acquainted name floated by Epstein to participate in the documentary: Wolff, that shows up to have functioned as something like an unofficial consigliere to the sex offender, though he has actually denied being an advisor and urges his conduct was a ruse to obtain gain access to. (Wolff later covered his relationship with Epstein– and the desperate PR project to salvage the disgraced financier’s credibility– in Too Famous, his 2021 collection of essays.).

“You r not coming?” Bannon inquired. He never got a reply, because just around the very same time he was typing out his message, Epstein was jailed at Teterboro Airport terminal in New Jersey on federal charges of sex trafficking loads of minors.