“Hundreds of texts over almost a year show MAGA influencer Steve Bannon and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein workshopping legal and media strategies to protect Epstein from the legal and publicity quagmire that enveloped him in the last year of his life,” The Guardian reports.

“The texts, released by the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, show that as early as June 2018, the pair were devising responses to the gathering storm of public outrage about Epstein’s criminal history, his favorable treatment by the justice system, and his friendships with powerful figures in business, politics, and academia.”

“Bannon conspiratorially described the renewed scrutiny of Epstein as a ‘sophisticated op’, and over time he counseled Epstein in his adversarial responses to media outlets, the justice system, and his victims.”