Newly unsealed Department of Justice documents from the Jeffrey Epstein case reveal a startling exchange between former Trump advisor Steve Bannon and the convicted financier regarding the arrest of Middle Eastern businessman George Nader.
On June 4, 2019, Epstein shared a CNN report with Bannon detailing Nader’s arrest at New York’s JFK airport on child pornography charges. Bannon responded with apparent surprise, stating “Not cool,” while Epstein noted the mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years. In a significant allegation, Bannon suggested that Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ), the ruler of the United Arab Emirates, had deliberately surrendered Nader to American authorities, commenting “MBZ must have coughed him up.”
Epstein contradicted this theory, explaining that Nader hadn’t been formally extradited but rather “duped” into returning to the United States. The messages show Epstein criticizing Nader’s possession of extreme child abuse material involving animals and minors.
The documents illuminate Nader’s complex role as a liaison between Trump’s inner circle and Middle Eastern leadership. According to the Mueller investigation into Russian election interference, Nader facilitated communications between Trump transition team members and Russian businessman Kirill Dmitriev, a known ally of Vladimir Putin. He additionally arranged a meeting between Dmitriev and Erik Prince, founder of the controversial private military company Blackwater.
Nader’s 2020 conviction and 10-year sentence primarily stemmed from a 2000 incident where he transported a 14-year-old boy from the Czech Republic to the United States for sexual exploitation. This marked the culmination of a decades-long pattern of sexual offenses against minors dating back to 1984, including previous convictions in both the United States and Czech Republic for child pornography and abuse crimes.