Put simply, Israel would sell weapons from the U. North and Casey then doubled down, funneling the profits from the arms sales into yet another illegal venture, a secret plan to support the Contras, the militants in Nicaragua which opposed the communist Sandinistas.
This was in direct contravention of the Boland Amendments, which Congress had passed from , specifically prohibiting U. The entire plot quickly unraveled on November 3, , when the Beirut newspaper Al Shiraa , revealed the arms-for-hostages deal for the first time.
The scandal was compounded when North destroyed or hid pertinent documents between November 25, Attorney General Edwin Meese then admitted on November 25 that profits from the weapons sales were aiding the Contras.
Congressional investigations soon followed. Widespread criticism and outrage over the scheme forced Reagan to apologize on a nationally televised address on March 4, Several high-ranking Administration officials were eventually indicted on various charges related to Iran-Contra.
Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger was indicted on two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice on June 16, He received a pardon from President George H.
