Oswald LeWinter

Oswald LeWinter (April 2, 1931 – February 13, 2013) was an Austrian-born American author and poet. He was best known for his role in the October Surprise controversy.

Background LeWinter was born in Vienna, Austria. He came to the United States in 1939, as part of an effort to rescue Jewish children from the dangerous conditions of Vienna following Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria. His parents, Louis and Regina LeWinter, were able to join him in New York later that year, but a number of his uncles, aunts, and cousins remained in Europe and perished in Nazi concentration camps.

Education LeWinter grew up in Brooklyn, New York. According to one source, he became interested in poetry while attending college in the New York area, and came to know a number of well-known literary figures, including novelist Saul Bellow. Columbia University, and Marist College. LeWinter's publications from this period include a book on Shakespeare, several academic articles on poetry, and his own poetry, which appeared in a number of well-known literary magazines.

In the late 1960s, however, LeWinter left academia and began a business career that lasted until the early 1980s. The theory held that in late 1980, Ronald Reagan's election advisers had made an arrangement with the Iranian government. The arrangement called for the Iranians to delay the release of American diplomats held captive in Iran until after the November presidential election, in order to help Reagan defeat the incumbent President Jimmy Carter. Eventually several books were published claiming that there was indeed a conspiracy, including books by writers Barbara Honegger, Gary Sick, and Robert Parry.

While the exact details of how LeWinter became involved are not clear, according to journalist Frank Snepp, LeWinter was introduced to writer Barbara Honegger in September 1988. LeWinter presented himself as a CIA operative, and eventually claimed to have provided security for several meetings in Paris where, according to various people claiming to be witnesses, negotiations to delay the diplomats' release took place.

Fraud conviction Following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed in an August 1997 car accident, Fayed's father, Mohammed Al-Fayed, became convinced that their deaths were not accidental, and offered a reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible.

When LeWinter produced the documents at the meeting in Vienna, he was arrested, but at least two others fled.

Fayed hired Terry Lenzner, former assistant chief counsel for the United States Senate Watergate Committee, in the Fall of 1998 to investigate the claims of LeWinter and his associates to determine if the British government was involved in a conspiracy to assassinate Princess Diana. Describing him as a "convincing storyteller", Lenzner stated that the "evidence we collected supported the conclusion that Oswald LeWinter was not a credible source."

Personal life Oswald LeWinter was married four times and had five children.

Death LeWinter died in Holly Hill, South Carolina on February 13, 2013.