Clive Palmer has denied Steve Bannon helped direct his advertising blitz in the 2019 federal election, suggesting texts published in the Jeffrey Epstein files about the strategy were an attempt by the former Trump strategist to “increase his own influence” by claiming credit.

Palmer said he’d never communicated with Epstein – a convicted sex offender – and only ever spoke with Bannon in one brief, unexpected, late-night phone call.

In a press conference to announce a high court challenge to Labor’s 2025 reforms to political donations, Palmer claimed the Bannon story was a media “beat-up” and said he didn’t know why his name had been mentioned in a text exchange with Epstein.

“I just think he [Bannon] was trying to use me for some purpose, to increase his own influence at the time,” Palmer said on Wednesday.

Palmer, a mining magnate and the chair of the United Australia party political movement, had earlier this week denied any knowledge of the texts or any links to Bannon and Epstein.

The text conversation purporting to be between Bannon and an unidentified person – who appears to Epstein – was among a tranche of documents released by the US Department of Justice in connection with the dead sex offender.

Bannon, a Donald Trump loyalist and promoter of misinformation who ran the US president’s 2016 election campaign, said in the messages – sent two days after the 2019 Australian election: “I had Clive Palmer do the $60 million anti china and climate change ads.”

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The 2019 federal election was marked by a significant rise in online misinformation and an unprecedented ad blitz by Palmer’s UAP. Scott Morrison’s Coalition government was returned, despite polls consistently pointing to a Labor victory.

On Wednesday, Palmer flatly denied any links to either Bannon or Epstein. He claimed he’d only spoken to Bannon once, when the Trump associate had contacted him close to the 2019 election in an unexpected phone call “in the middle of the night, at three o’clock”.

“I can’t remember the exact day, but I was deep in sleep, dreaming. I picked up the phone and this fellow said, ‘It’s Steve Bannon here’. I said, ‘Hello, Steve. Are you a member of our party?’” Palmer said.

Palmer said Bannon had replied he was calling from the United States. Palmer said he told him he couldn’t take donations from overseas.

“He said, ‘I don’t want to give a donation … I’m just ringing to say you’re running a great campaign against the Chinese. Keep it up’. I said, ‘Thanks, Steve’. And then I put the phone down.

“But apparently, if you go on the press reports, he wrote some sort of a text to Mr Epstein. I’ve never met Mr Epstein.”

Palmer said it was a very short conversation, and didn’t know how Bannon got his number.

Bannon has been contacted for comment.

Asked why Bannon would have tried to take credit for the advertising blitz, Palmer suggested: “Because it was a bit of an achievement that was taking place at the time in stopping [then Labor leader] Mr [Bill] Shorten from being prime minister.”

High court filing to come ‘within 90 days’

Palmer also said he would soon lodge a challenge to Labor’s electoral reforms, which limit the money that political parties can receive from outside donors.

His company, Mineralogy, has poured tens of millions of dollars into his political vehicles, often to little electoral benefit. Australian Electoral Commission data showed the UAP spent $123.5m in 2021-22, more than both Labor ($116m) and the Liberals ($118m), but saw the election of just one senator, Ralph Babet.

Data this week showed Mineralogy gave the Trumpet of Patriots, Palmer’s political vehicle at the 2025 election, just over $53m in the last financial year.

Palmer claimed the Labor and Liberal parties were seeking to “entrench themselves and silence the competition”.

“All political parties need to be able to communicate so they can fully inform the voting public. With this new legislation, freedom of speech is taken away,” he claimed.

Palmer said he would lodge a high court challenge “within 90 days”.

The special minister of state, Don Farrell, said the government stood by the electoral reforms.

“From day one, we’ve known that billionaires and vested interests would challenge our reforms,” he said.

“We’re stopping the influence of big money in our politics by capping donations, limiting campaign spending, restricting big donors, improving transparency, and strengthening the powers of the independent Australian Electoral Commission. We look forward to defending any challenge to these reforms.”