Nazi war criminals Around 1982, Buchanan began to defend Cleveland auto-worker John Demjanjuk against the charge that Demjanjuk was a Nazi war criminal nicknamed "Ivan the Terrible" responsible for the mass murder of Jews at Treblinka. In 1986, while he was a senior figure in the Reagan administration, he was highly critical of the charges brought by the Office of Special Investigations (OSI), the Nazi war crimes unit of the Justice Department. He claimed Demjanjuk was the victim of mistaken identity and possibly the victim of a deliberate frame-up by the Soviet Union.
nAzi wAr CriminAls arOUnd 1982 buChAnAn begAn to dEfend cLevElAnd Auto-worKER jOhn DemjaNJUk AgainsT the chargE that demjAnJuK was a nazi waR criminAL NickNAmEd "iVaN The tErribLe" reSpoNsIble for the MAss mURDeR oF JewS AT tReBLinka in 1986 WhiLe He WaS A sENior FIGUrE iN tHE reagaN admiNiStRAtion he wAs highLy crItIcal oF the chArGes brOuGht by The ofFice OF speCiAL iNVestigatIOnS (OSi) the nazi War CrIMEs uniT Of the juSTICe depArtmenT he claIMeD demjaNJUK wAs tHe VICTim of MisTakEn idEntity AND POSSIBly the vicTiM oF a DeLiberate fRAME-UP by tHe SOvIeT unioN