Ruthann Wigfield Period: 4 May 24, 2013 One of the biggest scandals since Watergate

 Boland Amendment: 1984 The Defense Department, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), or any other government agency, could not provide military aid to the contras, specifically in Nicaragua.

 Iran and Iraq were at war in 1985 and Iran secretly made a request to buy weapons from the US National Security Adviser Robert McFarlane approved of this request

 News reports said that the US had roles in both Iran and secret support for the Contras in Nicaragua  “Al Shiraa,” the Lebanese newspaper, told all about the activities going on in November about the arms to Iran and the aid to Nicaragua.

 Ronald Reagan confirmed that the US had sold arms to Iran To improve relations with Iran Wasn’t really looking for Iran to release the hostages being held by terrorists in the Middle East  Later he said it was an arms-for-hostage swap

 Attorney General, Edwin Meese, found that it was a diversion and the aid from the arms given to Iran was being sent to Nicaraguan “Contras” This was a prohibited act  Federal Judge Lawrence E. Walsh was ordered to examine this behavior and the people involved

 President Ronald Reagan accepted the judgment without disagreement “A few months ago I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages. My heart and my best intentions still tell me that’s true, but the facts and the evidence tell me it is not.”

 The Reagan administration used the National Security Council because it technically wasn’t covered by the Boland Amendment They used the NSC to give military aid to the contras in Nicaragua.  NSC staffer Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North directed the operation Also one of the central figures to secretly ship arms to Iran.

 The Congressional committees held televised hearings and heard from some different NSC staff members to find out the facts of the affair  They found out that the NSC staff set the Iran and Nicaragua policies and carried them out by lying to Congress  Oliver North and his secretary Fawn Hall became known nationally after their televised testimonies

 North was the one person who was diverting the funds from the arms sales to the Contras  Oliver North said that National Security Adviser Admiral John Poindexter and President Ronald Reagan knew about the events and the cover up.

 Oliver was found guilty on 3 counts at his trial Overturned because his protected congressional testimony was influenced by his trial and was thought to be used against him

 President George H. W. Bush pardoned all of the principals that were charged.  In 1994, Reagan and Bush were criticized for their roles but were never charged

 Reagan’s image suffered because of the Iran Contra Affair Rebounded and he had the highest approval rating since Franklin Roosevelt

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