It was suspected at the time, but only confirmed by a particpant forty-three years later. Then Texas Gov. John Connolly asked his Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes to take a little trip with him to the Mideast over the summer of 1980. In each capital in which they stopped, the Repugnants broadcast the same message to the Iranian leadership: don't make a deal with Carter to release the US hostages because you will get a better deal with Reagan. Records show the pair travelled to Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel on "private business". Nancy Regan even contacted Connolly during their trip. Carter's administration was in intense negotiations with Tehran for the hostage release. A deal before the election, which would have insured Carter's reelection, was possible. The effect of the disloyal messaging was to prolong their captivity until Reagan took office. Barnes decided to reveal the plot in the interest of the historic record.
When they returned from their trip, Connolly checked in with Reagan's spymaster and future Director of the CIA, William Casey. Connolly hoped his treachery would earn him the Secretary of State position in Reagan's cabinet. It did
NOT.
Eight servicemen died in the botched attempt at a hostage rescue known as Operation Bluelight. [photo credit: CBS] What was called "a piece of cake" by CIA agents turned into an embarrassing debacle in the desert. The military's blunder, for which Carter accepted responsibility, sealed his election defeat. The Iranians released the hostages after the election, and Jimmy Carter was there to greet them on his last day in office. The USA got eight years of Reagan's lies and deceptions that culminated in the Iran-Contra affair, in which arms were sold to the Iranian adversaries and the funds from the sales diverted to support Nicaraguan rebels known as "Contras" for their anti-communist counter-revolution. Col. Oliver North ran the diversion from Reagan's White House.
