Most notably, he was chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Post Office and Civil Service's Subcommittee on Human Resources when it investigated the leaking of Jimmy Carter's briefing papers prior to the key debate of the 1980 U.S. presidential election.

The Albosta Subcommittee Report also confirmed that the Reagan campaign received, copied and used "a pilfered copy" of President Carter's debate briefing book, and related materials from the National Security Council, the term "pilfered" being used by Michigan Republican Congressman David Stockman in a statement on October 28, 1980, describing how he had used the book to prepare candidate Reagan for the debate with President Carter, to a group of about 65 people, according to newspaper reports of Rep. Stockman's speech printed in the Elkhart Truth and Dowagiac Daily News on Wednesday, October 29.

It did not conclusively identify the specific individuals within the Carter White House who may have provided the briefing books, but did interview several who may have done so, reported that some witness statements were not entirely candid and seconded the finding of United States District Court Judge Harold Green that the Reagan Administration was required by the Ethics in Government Act to appoint an independent counsel or special prosecutor to conduct an investigation and determine whether to seek an indictment against any of the high-level presidential appointees who had knowingly received and used the stolen White House briefing book in violation of the law.

[citation needed] End of political career In the late summer of 1984 Rep. Albosta cosponsored a bill introduced by Rep. John LaFalce to provide compensation for victims of hazardous substances.

Executives and board members of Dow Chemical urged their employees and retirees to oppose Rep. Albosta and he was very narrowly defeated in November by future state Attorney General Bill Schuette.

Albosta sought a rematch against Schuette in 1986; he won the Democratic primary, but lost the general election in another close race and retired from politics.