163:, the head of the Office of Management and Budget, admitted using the Carter material while helping Reagan prepare for the debate. Stockman said the documents obtained were just position papers, not in question-and-answer format. Frank Hodsoll, also a member of the debate team, said that they were in Q&A form. The investigation turned up hundreds of pages of documents from the Carter campaign in Stockman's files as well as in Reagan's campaign archives at Stanford University's
90:. They had access to briefing papers from the Carter campaign. The importance of these documents is still in question. At the time the second debate took place, Reagan was ahead in the polls with 43 percent to Carter's 37 percent with 11 percent of voters undecided. The stakes were high for this debate, especially since Carter had the possibility of an
271:, and Corbin used connections in the White House to steal the papers in revenge. Shirley also contended that the contents of the briefing book were a compilation of Reagan's earlier speeches. Shirley concluded that the theft had no effect on the race, even though Carter continued to blame his defeat on the stolen papers.
38:'s briefing papers, classified top secret, that Carter used in preparation for the October 28, 1980 debate with Reagan. The briefing papers were never specified to be either vital strategy memos or just routine position papers. This leak of campaign papers was not divulged to the public until late June 1983, after
214:, in closing its investigation, cited "the professed lack of memory or knowledge on the part of those in possession of the documents". Still, it said the contradictions between Reagan aides like Baker and Casey "could be explained by differences in recollection or interpretation". In a case brought by
246:
of giving the briefing book to the Reagan campaign. In a 2005 syndicated column, Will called his role in Reagan's debate preparation "inappropriate", given his position as a columnist, but denied any role in stealing the briefing book. In his column, Will quoted from a letter he had written to Carter
202:
in its July 25, 1983, issue. According to that report, William Casey brought in former agents of both the CIA and the FBI to gather information from colleagues who were still with that agency. Jimmy Carter complained that the pilfered documents revealed the "essence" of his campaign, implying that
251:
retracting his accusations. Carter apologized to Will for "any incorrect statement that I have ever made about his role in the use of my briefing book.... I have never thought Mr. Will took my book, that the outcome of the debate was damaging to my campaign or that Mr. Will apologized to me".
125:, on the day of the debate, noted that in assisting with Reagan's preparations, Stockman had had access to a "pilfered" copy of Carter's briefing book; these remarks had been reported only in local newspapers. The publication of Barrett's book saw efforts by
167:. One document, an itinerary for Carter during the week prior to Election Day, had "report from White House mole" written on it. This seemed to confirm author Laurence Barrett's conclusion in his book that the material had been stolen. But
179:
by a collector of political memorabilia who, in
October 1980, had exhumed them from a dumpster behind Reagan headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. The press speculated that the Reagan campaign had been concerned that Carter would pull an
133:
to push the issue onto the press agenda, ultimately leading to Reagan asking the
Justice Department to "monitor" the issue. The president denied having any knowledge about briefing papers his campaign was thought to have obtained.
234:, a campaign aide who handled communications for Bush and provided news updates and policy ideas to the traveling Reagan party, was in charge of the operation. Halper called the report "just absolutely untrue".
230:
reported the Reagan campaign headquarters conducted a data-gathering operation to collect inside information on Carter foreign policy and used a number of former CIA officials in the effort. It said
268:
247:
privately: "My cursory glance at it convinced me that it was a crashing bore and next to useless—for you , or for anyone else". In response to Will's column, Carter wrote a letter to
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138:
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said that the debate ultimately did not affect the outcome of the election, arguing that an unpopular Carter would have lost even if he had been seen to "win" the debate.
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wondered whether a clandestine operation involving ex-CIA agents had been undertaken by the Reagan team to keep close tabs on the Carter campaign. This was supported by
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267:'s failed primary campaign. According to the book, the Kennedy family and campaign workers were embittered by Carter's treatment of Kennedy's challenge in the
702:
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and a congressional subcommittee reporting in May 1984 failed to determine how or through whom the briefing book came to the Reagan campaign. The
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only participated in the first debate, while the
Democratic nominee and incumbent President Jimmy Carter only participated in the second debate.
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indicated that the document in question had been volunteered by someone working for Carter. Other papers were turned in to
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61:
525:
Banzhaf v. Smith, 588 F. Supp. 1489 & 1498, rev'd on other grounds, 737 F.2d 1167 (DC Cir. 1984). -
75:
The first debate took place on
September 21, 1980, and the second debate took place on October 28, 1980.
675:"Public Papers of the Presidents." National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <
280:
506:
192:, a bombshell that some believed might have sent Carter back to the White House for four more years.
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The leak of the campaign papers first came to public attention in June 1983, with the publication of
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117:, an in-depth account of the Reagan administration's first two years. Comments on the matter by
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68:. The Republican nominee Ronald Reagan participated in both debates. Independent candidate
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Unauthorized transfers of nonpublic information during the 1980 presidential election
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his reelection bid had been done great harm when they fell into
Republican hands.
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wrote that the briefing papers were passed to Casey by Paul Corbin, an aide from
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https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/publications/presidential-papers.html
539:"A former Ronald Reagan campaign official charged Thursday administration..."
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46:, an in-depth account of the Reagan administration's first two years.
155:, Reagan's campaign manager, but Casey, then campaign manager, later
218:, an order by a federal judge that the Justice Department appoint a
683:
John G. Roberts files on
Debategate from the Reagan administration
357:"President's disclaimers may not clear air on debate-book ethics"
189:
78:
Key aides involved in the second Reagan debate preparation were
382:
The Age of Reagan: The Fall of the Old
Liberal Order: 1964-1980
478:"Reagan Assures Casey He Can Stay as CIA Chief in New Term?".
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156:
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swore under oath that he had received the briefing book from
141:'s Subcommittee on Human Resources under the chairmanship of
188:
for the release of the 52 hostages held for over a year by
26:
was a political scandal affecting the administration of
427:"New 'Debategate' report sharpens focus on Casey links"
145:(D-MI). This produced a 2,400-page report in May 1984.
412:"John Eby: Talking like trying to corral soap bubbles"
663:
U.S. House
Committee on Post Office and Civil Service
139:
U.S. House
Committee on Post Office and Civil Service
242:
In 2004 and again in 2005, Carter accused columnist
446:"How Jimmy Carter Changed American Foreign Policy"
115:Gambling with History: Reagan in the White House
44:Gambling with History: Reagan in the White House
601:"Putting an End to the 'Briefing Book Baloney'"
94:, such as the release of the hostages in Iran.
527:PROF. JOHN BANZHAF'S BACKGROUND IN ANTISMOKING
8:
184:during the campaign—cutting a deal with the
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206:The matter was never resolved as both the
137:An investigation was then launched by the
30:; it took place in the final days of the
708:1980 United States presidential election
641:"New Book Pins 'debategate' on Democrat"
507:"Decision: The Debategate Probe Fizzles"
713:1983 controversies in the United States
698:Political scandals in the United States
355:Sperling Jr., Godfrey (June 30, 1983).
296:
222:was overturned on appeal in July 1984.
56:1980 United States presidential debates
728:Election scandals in the United States
733:June 1983 events in the United States
7:
492:"Campaign Papers Remain a Mystery",
286:List of scandals with "-gate" suffix
121:, made at an Optimist Club lunch in
703:Reagan administration controversies
669:", US GPO, 17 May 1984 (both parts)
580:Will, George F. (August 11, 2005).
305:"New book pins 'debategate' on Dem"
34:. Reagan's team acquired President
444:Eizenstat, Stuart (May 20, 2024).
259:, Reagan biographer and historian
159:director, vehemently denied this.
14:
599:Carter, Jimmy (August 31, 2005).
255:In his 2009 campaign examination
671:The Eighties Club on Debategate
66:1980 U.S. presidential election
16:1980 American political scandal
1:
431:The Christian Science Monitor
425:Malone, Julia (24 May 1984).
410:Eby, John (6 February 2011).
362:The Christian Science Monitor
64:organized two debates of the
170:U.S. News & World Report
465:"Eighties Club: Debategate"
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738:Presidency of Jimmy Carter
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32:1980 presidential election
723:1983 in American politics
50:1980 presidential debate
623:Rendezvous with Destiny
621:Shirley, Craig (2009).
582:"Briefing Book Baloney"
269:1980 Democratic primary
257:Rendezvous with Destiny
604:(Letter to the Editor)
62:League of Women Voters
568:The Alabama Plainsman
482:. September 11, 1984.
281:Killing Reagan (film)
566:, October 21, 2004;
123:Cassopolis, Michigan
639:(15 October 2009).
608:The Washington Post
586:The Washington Post
480:The Washington Post
249:The Washington Post
216:John F. Banzhaf III
176:The Washington Post
494:The New York Times
377:Hayward, Steven F.
227:The New York Times
220:special prosecutor
212:Justice Department
186:Ayatollah Khomeini
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265:Ted Kennedy
244:George Will
149:James Baker
127:Jody Powell
99:Tip O'Neill
80:James Baker
692:Categories
341:Debategate
314:2017-06-25
292:References
42:published
20:Debategate
563:Fresh Air
238:Aftermath
646:Politico
379:(2009).
309:POLITICO
275:See also
194:Newsweek
542:upi.com
547:20 May
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86:, and
679:>.
549:2018
512:Time
391:ISBN
199:Time
190:Iran
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157:CIA
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