House October Surprise Task Force

House October Surprise Task Force
AbbreviationHOSTF
FormationMarch 1992[1]
DissolvedJanuary 1993[1]
PurposeTo investigate the October Surprise allegations
Location
Chairman
Rep. Lee H. Hamilton (D-Ind)[1]
Vice-Chairman
Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill)
Chief Counsel
Lawrence Barcella
Chief Minority Counsel
Richard J. Leon
Parent organization
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the United States House of Representatives
Budget
$1.35m[2]

The House October Surprise Task Force (formally Task Force of the Committee on Foreign Affairs to Investigate Certain Allegations Concerning the Holding of Americans as Hostages by Iran in 1980[3]) was a task force instituted by the United States House of Representatives in 1992 to examine the 1980 October Surprise theory which theorized that, during the 1980 United States presidential election, the Reagan campaign successfully negotiated with the government of Iran for a solution to the Iran hostage crisis that would not occur until after the election, so as to prevent President Jimmy Carter, Reagan's opponent, from getting an electoral boost.

The Joint report of the Task Force to Investigate Certain Allegations Concerning the Holding of American Hostages by Iran in 1980 was published on January 3, 1993.[4] Shortly afterwards, Task Force chairman Rep. Lee H. Hamilton published an editorial in The New York Times in which he summarized the Task Force conclusion as being that "there was virtually no credible evidence to support the accusations."[1]

  1. ^ a b c d Lee H. Hamilton, New York Times, 24 January 1993, DIALOGUE: Last Word on the October Surprise?; Case Closed
  2. ^ HOSTF Report, p5
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference TF1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Task Force to Investigate Certain Allegations Concerning the Holding of American Hostages by Iran in 1980 (January 3, 1993). Joint report of the Task Force to Investigate Certain Allegations Concerning the Holding of American Hostages by Iran in 1980 ("October Surprise Task Force"). Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office. p. 1. OCLC 27492534. H. Rept. No. 102-1102.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)