- John Connally sabotaged Jimmy Carter's 1980 re-election campaign by delivering a message to Iran not to release the hostages before the election.
- Ben Barnes accompanied Connally on the Middle Eastern trip, meeting with regional leaders to pass the message.
- After the trip, Connally reported to William Casey, the chairman of Reagan's campaign and later director of the CIA.
- Reagan's camp has long been suspected of secretly torpedoing efforts to liberate the hostages before the election.
- With Carter now 98 and in hospice care, Barnes said he felt compelled to come forward to correct the record.
A Four-Decade Secret: One Man’s Story of Sabotaging Carter’s Re-election
A prominent Texas politician said he unwittingly took part in a 1980 tour of the Middle East with a clandestine agenda.
By Peter Baker
