Originally posted by DrumboNorth was named, originally, in a 23 count indictment that included North and three co-defendants. The four cases were severed, some charges were found to duplicate one another, and a couple were dropped. By the time of Oliver North's trial, the list of indictments had been reduced to twelve:
Oliver North was never accused of any sort of corruption.....where do you get off?
Count One: Obstruction of Congress in September and October 1985, when congressional committees sought information on press reports alleging that North was engaged in a variety of contra-support activities, in violation of the Boland prohibition on U.S. aid. The indictment charged that North and McFarlane obstructed Congress by falsely denying in three letters North's contra-assistance efforts. The first letter was sent September 5, 1985, to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI); the second, on September 12 to a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee; and the third, on October 7 to HPSCI, responding to additional questions.
Counts Two, Three, and Four: False statements to Congress, charging specific misrepresentations in the three letters described in Count One. These included statements that North had not solicited funds or other support for the contras, had not provided military advice to them, and had not used his influence to facilitate the movement of supplies to the contras.
Count Five: Obstruction of Congress in August 1986, charging that in a presentation to HPSCI members and staff, North falsely denied press accounts that he: (1) had given military advice to the contras; (2) had knowledge of specific military actions conducted by the contras; (3) had contact with retired Maj. Gen. John K. Singlaub within the previous 20 months; (4) raised funds in support of the contras; (5) advised and guided Robert W. Owen with respect to the contras; and (6) had frequent contact with Owen.
Count Six: Obstruction and aiding and abetting in the obstruction of congressional investigations in November 1986, charging that North helped draft a false chronology of the Iran arms sales and altered and destroyed documents in response to congressional inquiries into the Iran initiative.
Count Seven: Obstruction of a presidential inquiry conducted by Attorney General Edwin Meese III from November 21-23, 1986. The indictment charged that North made false statements to Meese on November 23, including that: (1) the NSC had no involvement in the diversion of Iran arms sales proceeds to the contras; (2) the Israelis determined how much of the proceeds from the arms sales were diverted to the contras; and (3) North had advised contra leader Adolfo Calero to open bank accounts in Switzerland to receive the diverted funds. The indictment also charged that North obstructed the Meese inquiry by altering, destroying, concealing and removing relevant official documents.
Count Eight: False statements on November 23, 1986, charging the specific misrepresentations North made to Meese as described in Count Seven.
Count Nine: Concealing, removing, mutilating, obliterating, falsifying and destroying official NSC documents relevant to the Iran/contra matter from November 21-25, 1986.
Count Ten: Receipt of an illegal gratuity, charging North with accepting a home-security system paid for by Secord, in exchange for official acts performed by North.
Count Eleven: Conversion of traveler's checks, charging that North from April 1985 to July 1986 personally used $4,300 in traveler's checks from approximately $90,000 in checks given to him by Calero for hostage-release and contra-related expenses.
Count Twelve: Conspiracy to defraud the United States, the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service. The indictment charged that beginning in the spring or summer of 1985, North and others conspired to defraud the United States by illegally using a tax-exempt organization, the National Endowment for the Preservation of Liberty (NEPL), to solicit money for weapons for the contras and other unlawful purposes.
Source: FINAL REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT COUNSEL FOR
IRAN/CONTRA MATTERS Volume I:
Investigations and Prosecutions
Lawrence E. Walsh
Independent Counsel
August 4, 1993
Washington, D.C.
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT