Ben Barnes, a former Texas political figure, has revealed that his political mentor, John B. Connally Jr., who served three US presidents, went on a mission to

Ben Barnes, a former Texas political figure, has revealed that his political mentor, John B. Connally Jr., who served three US presidents, went on a mission to the Middle East in 1980 to sabotage President Jimmy Carter's re-election campaign. Connally, who had just lost his own bid for the White House and wanted to become Secretary of State or Defense in a new administration, was determined to help Ronald Reagan beat Carter. He met with regional leaders and delivered a blunt message to be passed to Iran: Don't release the hostages before the election, and Reagan will win and give you a better deal. Shortly after returning home, Connally reported to William J. Casey, chairman of Reagan's campaign, and later the director of the CIA, briefing him about the trip in an airport lounge. Barnes, who accompanied Connally on the trip, identified four people he had confided in over the years, including the president of the L.B.J. Foundation, a former aide to Lyndon Johnson, a former aide to Connally and Johnson, and a University of Texas historian. All four confirmed that Barnes shared the story with them years ago. Records at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum confirmed part of Barnes's story. An itinerary found last week in Connally's files showed that Connally left Houston on July 18, 1980, for a trip that would take him to Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Israel before returning to Houston on Aug. 11. Barnes was listed as accompanying him. The October surprise theory has been long debated, with Carter's camp long suspecting that someone in Reagan's orbit sought to secretly torpedo efforts to liberate the hostages before the election. Congressional investigations have debunked previous theories of what happened, but Connally did not figure in those investigations. With Carter now 98 and in hospice care, Barnes said he felt compelled to come forward to correct the record. Confirming Barnes's account is problematic after so much time, as Connally, Casey, and other central figures have long since died, and Barnes has no diaries or memos to corroborate his account.