Former Texas lt. gov says political mentor sabotaged Iran hostage talks to stop Jimmy Carter’s re-election

https://nypost.com/2023/03/19/former-texas-lt-gov-says-political-mentor-sabotaged-jimmy-carters-re-election/

With former President Jimmy Carter, 98, now in hospice care, Barnes, 84, told the New York Times he wanted to reveal his part in a secret operation that ended in Carter’s reelection loss.

“History needs to know that this happened,” Barnes told the Times. “I think it’s so significant and I guess knowing that the end is near for President Carter put it on my mind more and more and more.”

In his interview, Barnes recounted how the US was on edge as Carter tried to negotiate the freedom of 52 Americans held captive in 1979 by a group of militarized Iranian college students.

And with the 1980 elections approaching during the 444-day long incident, the crisis’ outcome was seen as the make-or-break moment of Carter’s presidency.

Barnes alleged Connally was committed to stalling the negotiations, and invited him on a trip to several Middle Eastern capitals to urge leaders not to release the hostages because Reagan would offer a better deal, the Times reported.

Barnes’ claims echoes those of the so-called October Surprise Theory, in which Carter supporters have long alleged pro-Regan agents had secretly influenced the outcome of the 1980 election through the Iran hostage crisis.