In the course of Walsh’s investigation, eleven White House, State Department, and intelligence officials were found guilty on charges ranging from perjury, to withholding information form Congress, to conspiracy to defraud the United States. Both investigations revealed that North and other administration officials had attempted to cover-up illegally their illicit dealings with the Contras and Iran. In December 1986, Lawrence Walsh was named special prosecutor to investigate the matter, and in the summer of 1987 Congress held televised hearings on the Iran-Contra scandal. Reagan accepted responsibility for the arms-for-hostages deal but denied any knowledge of the diversion of funds to the Contras. Both men had played key roles in the Iran-Contra operation. The Contra connection caused outrage in Congress, which in 1982 had passed the Boland Amendment prohibiting the use of federal money “for the purpose of overthrowing the government of Nicaragua.” The same day that the Iran-Contra connection was disclosed, President Reagan accepted the resignation of his national security adviser, Vice Admiral John Poindexter, and fired Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North, a Poindexter aide. On November 25, controversy over the administration’s secret dealings with Iran deepened dramatically when Attorney General Meese announced that the arms sales proceeds were diverted to fund Nicaraguan rebels-the Contras-who were fighting a guerrilla war against the elected leftist government of Nicaragua. arms embargo against Iran, the arms sales contradicted President Reagan’s vow never to negotiate with terrorists. intelligence sources on November 6, came as a shock to officials outside President Ronald Reagan’s inner circle and went against the stated policy of the administration. On November 3, the Lebanese magazine Ash Shiraa reported that the United States had been secretly selling arms to Iran in an effort to secure the release of seven American hostages held by pro-Iranian groups in Lebanon. By quitting now, Meese lessens the likelihood of further embarrassment for the Reagan administration.Three weeks after a Lebanese magazine reported that the United States had been secretly selling arms to Iran, Attorney General Edwin Meese reveals that proceeds from the arms sales were illegally diverted to the anti-communist Contras in Nicaragua. All of the old allegations - of influence peddling, selling federal jobs, cronyism, financial finagling, and the manipulation of federal investigations - would be reviewed again, this time for possible violations of federal ethics laws. That would prompt an internal investigation by the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility. It also has been known, however, that the report will criticize the attorney general’s chronic insensitivity in ethical matters. While the contents of the report aren’t expected to be made public for several days, it has been known for some time that there would be no criminal charges brought against Meese. McKay delivered the 800-page summary of his 14- month investigation of the multiple misconduct charges against Meese to a special panel of appellate judges just hours before the attorney general revealed his plans to leave office. Yet Edwin Meese III waved them like a badge of honor Tuesday as he announced his long overdue resignation as U.S.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |