A former Texas lieutenant governor confesses he allegedly helped a political mentor stage a Middle East tour to sabotage then-President Jimmy Carter’s negotiations within the Iran hostage crisis — and bolster Ronald Reagan’s White House bid.
With Carter, 98, now in hospice care, Ben Barnes, 84, told the Recent York Times he wants to come back clean about his part in the key operation.
“History must know that this happened,” Barnes told the Times. “I feel it’s so significant and I suppose knowing that the top is near for President Carter put it on my mind increasingly more and more.”
In his interview, Barnes recounted how the nation was on edge as Carter tried to barter the liberty of 52 Americans held captive in 1979 by a bunch of militarized Iranian college students.
And with the 1980 elections approaching in the course of the 444-day long incident, the crisis’ end result was seen because the definitive point of Carter’s presidency.
But Barnes alleged former Gov. John Connally Jr. was committed to stalling those negotiations, claiming Connally invited him on a visit to several Middle Eastern capitals to induce leaders to not release the hostages because Reagan would offer a greater deal, the Times reported.
Barnes’ claims echoes those of the so-called October Surprise Theory, wherein Carter supporters have long alleged pro-Regan agents had secretly influenced the end result of the 1980 election through the Iran hostage crisis.
Barnes, who at 26 became the youngest speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, was counseled by Connally, the Times reported.
And though each began careers as Democrats, they gained prominence as GOP influencers.
Based on government records, flight logs show Barnes accompanied Connally on the July 18, 1980, trip from Houston to Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel, the Times reported.
Through the tour, Barnes alleged Connally pushed for leaders within the nations to consider the crisis situation shouldn’t be resolved until after Election Day.
Barnes recalled Connally saying: “‘Look, Ronald Reagan’s going to be elected president and it is advisable get the word to Iran that they’re going to make a greater take care of Reagan than they’re Carter.’ He said, ‘It will be very smart so that you can pass the wor.d to the Iranians to attend until after this general election is over.’”
The 2 returned to Texas on Aug. 11, 1980, and the next month, Barnes alleged they met with William Casey, chairman of Reagan’s campaign and future CIA director, on the Dallas/Fort Price Airport to report their trip.
Flight records confirm Casey traveled to Dallas on Sept. 10, the Times reported.
Barnes told the Times he didn’t initially know what the trip with Connally was about and why he was invited.
But he told the Times he believes Connally accomplished the mission as a bid to secure a seat because the “secretary of state or defense” within the Reagan administration.
Connally, who died in 1993, was later offered the position of Energy Secretary, which he declined.
While 4 other sources with whom Barnes confided his secret confirmed to the Times the main points have remained consistent throughout the a long time, the validity of the allegations stays up within the air.
Connally’s family told the Times they don’t consider he passed on any messages to the Iranians.
Casey, who has also died and previously faced scrutiny over the October Surprise Theory, has long maintained he didn’t sabotage Carter’s campaign.
Neither men were ever charged with any wrongdoing.
Barnes told the Times he desired to set the record straight after Carter was admitted to hospice care.
“I just want history to reflect that Carter got a bit of little bit of a nasty deal in regards to the hostages,” Barnes said. “He didn’t have a fighting probability with those hostages still within the embassy in Iran.”