INQUIRY IS ORDERED ON 1980 CAMPAIGN [flashback!]

https://www.nytimes.com ^ | August 06, 1991 | By Richard L. Berke

[Red Badger]

Congressional Democratic leaders today ordered a formal investigation into whether Ronald Reagan's Presidential campaign made a deal with Iran in 1980 to delay the release of American hostages until after the election.

Thomas S. Foley, the House Speaker, and George J. Mitchell, the Senate Democratic leader, said they had designated the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to supervise separate but coordinated inquiries.

"These allegations are both persist ent and disturbing," the two leaders said in a joint statement. "We have no conclusive evidence of wrongdoing, but the seriousness of the allegations, and the weight of circumstantial information, compel an effort to establish the facts." Was 'October Surprise' Feared?

The core allegation is that Reagan campaign officials acted out of fear that President Jimmy Carter would pull an "October surprise" in the form of a diplomatic coup to free the 52 hostages just in time to enhance Mr. Carter's fortunes in the November election.

Even before the inquiry was announced today, Marlin Fitzwater, the White House spokesman, questioned the Democrats' motives. "If there is legitimate evidence and a real reason for an investigation," he said, "then they ought to get to the bottom of it. But if it's just a political witch hunt of some kind, then it's foolish."

If the allegations were proven true, the Democrats could portray the Reagan-Bush campaign of 1980 as callously interfering in a foreign-policy crisis for political gain. If the Democrats could make a strong case, President Bush could be embarrassed if he runs again, as expected, in 1992.

[Red Badger]

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[a fool in paradise]

“We have no conclusive evidence of wrongdoing, but the seriousness of the allegations”

[a fool in paradise]

Fidel Castro loving Oliver Stoned was one of the conspiracy nuts behind advancing the claims in the late 80s and early 1990s. He was even going to make a movie about Bush but couldn’t get sufficient funding and distribution in time for the 1988 election.