Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and convicted sex trafficker, attempted to arrange a meeting between Steve Bannon, the right-wing strategist who helped bring Donald Trump to power, and leaders of the MeToo-inspired group Time’s Up, Raw Story has learned.Phone texts exchanged between Epstein and Bannon in March 2018 show Epstein telling Bannon that an intermediary, Joichi “Joi” Ito — then the director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab — had agreed to set up the meeting.“Joi will organize a meeting with the powers behind Time’s up,” Epstein told Bannon on March 26, 2018, according to the text, which was included in the massive trove of files released by the U.S. Justice Department in response to the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Text from Jeffrey Epstein to Steve Bannon discussing plans for a meeting between Bannon and the leadership of Time's Up.U.S. Department of JusticeTime’s Up launched in January 2018 by 300 prominent women in the entertainment industry to raise awareness about sexual misconduct and push for gender parity in Hollywood, in the wake of revelations about movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s pattern of rape and harassment.Bannon, who had served as chairman of Trump’s 2016 campaign and as White House strategist, represented an opposing current in the shifting cultural tides of the first Trump administration.Before joining the Trump campaign, Bannon had led Breitbart News. Under Bannon’s watch, the outlet promoted Gamergate, a digital mob that harassed women in the video-game industry while giving expression to a right-wing backlash against feminism and racial diversity that would become a potent political force. Known as the “alt-right” at the time, the movement helped propel Trump to power.The effort to broker a meeting between Bannon and the Time’s Up leadership — two entities at seemingly opposing poles — has not been previously reported.Epstein added in parentheses after the text to Bannon about the proposed meeting that “they prefer academic setting for cover,” suggesting that he had at least discussed the idea with someone at Time’s Up.The texts do not identify Epstein’s contact at the organization. But two years earlier, Michelle Kydd, who would go on to become a founding member of Time’s Up, had recommended two public relations professionals to Epstein, as first reported by Page Six Hollywood.At the time of Kydd’s 2016 email, Epstein had pleaded guilty to child prostitution and had served jail time.Ito initially put Kydd, a member of his advisory council at MIT Media Lab, in touch with Epstein in 2014. Ito described Kydd, who is the chief innovation officer at Creative Artists Agency, to Epstein as “sort of the ‘mother’ of Hollywood,” who “famous people under the protection of CAA go to when they get in trouble.”A request for comment left by Raw Story for Kydd at Creative Artists Agency went unreturned.The texts exchanged between Epstein and Bannon in 2018 show that Bannon was interested in meeting with the Time’s Up leaders.Three days after initially broaching the idea of a meeting, Epstein raised the topic again.“We should probably figure out your first meeting with the Time’s Up powers,” Epstein texted. “Academic setting to give them cover. Probably MIT.”“Yes,” Bannon replied.“Joi agreed,” Epstein said.“Wow,” Bannon responded. Texts exchanged between Jeffrey Epstein and Steve Bannon discussing plans for a meeting with Time's Up.U.S. Department of JusticeIt is unclear whether the meeting between Bannon and Time’s Up ever took place, but emails show that Epstein and Ito had planned to meet in Cambridge, Mass. on March 25 — the day before Epstein suggested the idea to Bannon — and that Epstein and Ito had attempted to schedule a phone call two days before that.Bannon also spent the day with Epstein in Cambridge on March 25, although it’s unclear whether Bannon and Ito met directly.“I have all day Sunday. Harvard MIT, [former Harvard President] Larry Summers etc.,” Epstein texted Bannon on March 23. “You are always welcome to join.”“Pulling up,” Bannon wrote to Epstein on March 25 at 12:09 p.m.The next day Bannon texted Epstein: “Thanks for yesterday — really terrific day.”Ito could not be reached for comment.Ito resigned from his position at MIT following Epstein’s 2019 arrest. He later received appointment as president of the Chiba Institute of Technology in Japan.Following the latest round of revelations about Ito’s association with Epstein following the recent release of files by the U.S. Justice Department, Ito announced he was stepping away from Japanese government technology initiative known as the Global Startup Campus Initiative.A statement from the Chiba Institute of Technology said Ito “reaffirmed he was never aware of the existence of any illegal or improper conduct” with regard to Epstein, “and has never been involved in any illegal or improper conduct.”Raw Story was not able to reach Bannon for comment.