who was attorney general during iran contra scandal

by Cary McKenzie 3 min read

Edwin Meese
In office February 25, 1985 – August 12, 1988
PresidentRonald Reagan
Preceded byWilliam French Smith
Succeeded byDick Thornburgh
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Who was involved in the Iran Contra scandal?

Feb 26, 2019 · William Barr and the Iran-Contra Scandal CIA Covert Operative William Barr Nominated by Trump for Attorney General. His Role in the …

What was the Iran Contra affair Quizlet?

Per Request of Attorney General Meese III, a panel of three judges appointed an Independent Counsel, Lawrence Walsh, to investigate the legal issues …

Why did Congress open an investigation into the Iran-Contra affair?

North started shredding incriminating documents, but investigators from the attorney general’s office found proof of the diversion of funds from the arms sales to the Contras. After the disclosure of this shocking news, Reagan fired North, even while lauding him as an American hero, and accepted the resignation of John Poindexter, who had succeeded MacFarlane as national …

What were the Iran-Contra affairs of the 1980s?

Jan 22, 2019 · A quarter century ago, the president’s attorney general, William Barr, staunchly opposed the independent counsel’s investigation of wrongdoing in the White House, and he also firmly supported ...

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Who was the general in the Iran-Contra scandal?

Richard V. Secord. Former Air Force major general, who was involved in arms transfers to Iran and diversion of funds to Contras, he pleaded guilty in November 1989 to making false statements to Congress and was sentenced to two years of probation.

What committee investigated Iran-Contra?

1987 Iran-Contra Investigation (Select Committee on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Nicaraguan Opposition)

What role did the CIA play in the Iran-Contra?

CIA personnel proved instrumental in the Iran-Contra affair of the mid-1980s involving a triangulation of arms-dealing and arms-smuggling between the United States military, Iran, and right-wing Contra groups waging a civil war in Nicaragua.

Who pardoned Caspar Weinberger?

Before Weinberger could be tried on the original charges, he received a pardon on December 24, 1992, from then President Bush, who had been Reagan's vice president during the scandal.

When did Iran Contra hearings begin?

The Iran–Contra affair was a political scandal in the United States that came to light in November 1986. During the Reagan administration, senior administration officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran, the subject of an arms embargo.

How many members are in a joint committee?

The Joint Economic Committee is composed of 10 Members of the Senate and 10 Members of the House, who are appointed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker, respec- tively. Each appoints six Members from the majority and four from the minority (15 U.S.C.

What happened to the Contras?

In 1987, after the discovery of private resupply efforts orchestrated by the National Security Council and Oliver North, Congress ceased all but "non-lethal" aid in 1987. The war between the Sandinistas and the Contras ended with a cease-fire in 1990.

Who overthrew the Shah of Iran in 1979?

KhomeiniIran voted by national referendum to become an Islamic republic on 1 April 1979 and to formulate and approve a new theocratic-republican constitution whereby Khomeini became supreme leader of the country in December 1979. The revolution was unusual for the surprise it created throughout the world.

Did the US support the Iranian revolution?

Iran's nuclear program was launched in the 1950s with the help of the United States as part of the Atoms for Peace program. The participation of the U.S. and Western European governments continued until the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

Who were Reagan's cabinet members?

Pages in category "Reagan administration cabinet members"James Baker.Malcolm Baldrige Jr.Terrel Bell.William Bennett.John Rusling Block.Otis Bowen.Nicholas F. Brady.Bill Brock.More items...

Who was Secretary of Defense under George HW Bush?

Donald RumsfeldOfficial portrait, 200113th and 21st United States Secretary of DefenseIn office January 20, 2001 – December 18, 2006PresidentGeorge W. Bush55 more rows

Who did Trump pardon?

Trump granted clemency to five of his former campaign staff members and political advisers: Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, Stephen K. Bannon, and George Papadopoulos. Many of Trump's grants of clemency were criticized by the federal agents and prosecutors who investigated and prosecuted the cases.

Reagan Doctrine

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The Iran-Contra Affair, also known as “The Iran-Contra Scandal” and “Irangate,” may not have happened were it not for the political climate in the early 1980s. President Ronald Reagan, who won the White House in 1980, wasn’t able to maintain the political momentum for his Republican colleagues, and the GOP was swept from t…
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Sandinistas in Nicaragua

  • Soon after taking control of Congress, the Democrats passed the Boland Amendment, which restricted the activities of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)and Department of Defense (DoD) in foreign conflicts. The amendment was specifically aimed at Nicaragua, where anti-communist Contras were battling the communist Sandinista government. Reagan had described the Contra…
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Iran Hostage Crisis

  • Meanwhile, in the Middle East, where U.S. relations with many nations were strained to the breaking point, two regional powers—Iraq and Iran—were engaged in a bloody conflict. At the same time, Iranian-backed terrorists in Hezbollah were holding hostage seven Americans (diplomats and private contractors) in Lebanon. Reagan delivered another ultimatum to his advi…
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Oliver North

  • Lebanese newspaper Al-Shiraafirst reported the arms deal between the United States and Iran in 1986, well into Reagan’s second term. By that time, 1,500 American missiles had been sold to Iran, for $30 million. Three of the seven hostages in Lebanon were also released, although the Iran-backed terrorist group there later took three more Americans hostage. Reagan initially denied th…
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Tower Commission

  • The American press hounded Reagan over the matter for the rest of his presidency. The Tower Commission (led by TexasSenator John Tower), which the president himself appointed, investigated the administration’s involvement and concluded that Reagan’s lack of oversight enabled those working under him to divert the funds to the Contras. During a subsequent Congr…
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Iran-Contra Scandal Fallout

  • Reagan himself was never charged, and, in 1992, George H. W. Bush, Reagan’s vice president who was elected president in 1988, preemptively pardoned Weinberger. McFarlane was charged with four counts of withholding information from Congress, a misdemeanor. He was sentenced to two years’ probation and $20,000 in fines. North was charged with 12 counts relating to conspiracy a…
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Reagan and Iran Contra

  • Despite the fact that Reagan had promised voters he would never negotiate with terrorists—which he or his underlings did while brokering the weapons sales with Iran—the two-term occupant of the White House left office as a popular president. In interviews years later, Walsh, the special counsel tasked with investigating the Iran-Contra scandal, said that Reagan’s “instincts for the c…
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Sources

  • The Iran-Contra Affair—1986-87. The Washington Post. The Iran-Contra Affairs. Brown University. The Iran-Contra Affair. PBS.org. Iran Hostage Crisis. History.com. Understanding the Iran-Contra Affairs: Summary of Prosecutions. Brown University. 25 Years Later: Oliver North and the Iran Contra Scandal. Time. The Iran-contra scandal 25 years later. Salon.com. Iran-Contra scandal ta…
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