John G. Roberts: An Iran-Contra Connection?

By: Lowell
Published On: 7/27/2005 1:00:00 AM

Yesterday, the National Archives released 14,000 pages of documents regarding Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts, Jr's service in the Reagan Administration's Justice Department during the early 1980s.  However, thousands more pages of documents apparently remain unreleased, including the period, from from 1982 to 1986, in which he worked as Associate Counsel to the President under White House counsel Fred Fielding.  For whatever reason, the Bush White House does not appear particularly eager to supply information from that period. 

Suspicious little blogger that I am, that got me to thinking:  what, if anything, was going on during the mid-1980s, possibly involving the White House Counsel's office, that the Bush Administration would not want people to know too much about?  Specifically, is there anything there, let's just say with regard to a minor little scandal known as "Iran-Contra," that might not make Roberts -- or then-Vice President George HW Bush, "Dubya's" daddy -- look very good?  How about a bit of circumstantial evidence?

*The Iran-Contra scandal ran from at least December 1983, when the Boland Amendment (prohibiting covert military assistance to the Nicaraguan contras) kicked into effect, until November 1986, when the Lebanese magazine Ash-Shiraa exposed the arrangement.

*John G. Roberts served as Associate Counsel to the President for almost this entire period. 

*According to the US Department of Justice website,"Mr. Roberts? responsibilities as Associate Counsel to the President included counseling on the President?s constitutional powers and responsibilities, as well as other legal issues affecting the executive branch."

*So what did the White House Counsel's office advise the President and other senior officials during this period?  And what role, specifically, did John G. Roberts, Jr. play in all this?  That is the question.

*According to the Walsh Commission "Final Report of the Independent Counsel for Iran/Contra Matters," then-"Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger (a lawyer with an extensive record in private practice and the former general counsel of the Bechtel Corporation) advised President Reagan in 1985 that the shipments were illegal." 

*Apparently, "Weinberger's opinion was shared by attorneys within the Department of Defense and the White House counsel's office once they became aware of the 1985 shipments."  However, the arms shipments began around November 1981, which raises the obvious question, "what on earth kind of advice was the White House counsel's office providing between 1981 and 1985?" 

*Roberts' boss, Fred Fielding, reportedly wrote a memo "approving the request for...thank-you notes [from Reagan to conservative millionaire Barbara Newington and fund-raiser Carl Channell], in which the White House counsel wrote that 'North has advised my office that the recipients are not involved in raising private funds for the Contras.'" Hmmm....

*And what was John G. Roberts' role in all of this, given that he worked closely with Fred Fielding?  Of course, if we had all the documents, perhaps we could find out.  But, to date, only "about 10 percent of these documents" have been released, with the rest to "be reviewed for any national security or personal privacy concerns." 

Now, it's not that - heaven forbid! - I don't trust the Bush-Cheney "Weapons of Mass Deception" Administration, but are we ever going to get to see the other 90 percent of those documents?  Don't you think the American people deserve to know the full record about Roberts, including his possible involvement in one of the worst scandals in American history?  And while we're on the subject, perhaps former Virginia Senate candidate (and convicted felon for lying to Congress about the Iran-Contra affair) Oliver North would like to share his thoughts on this matter?

Comments



Hey Richard: Shut (Paul - 4/4/2006 11:27:19 PM)
Hey Richard:

Shut up.



Jonathan, Don't be s (Ben - 4/4/2006 11:27:19 PM)
Jonathan, Don't be selfish, there is plenty of Leslie to go around.

Lowell- that was NOT my favorite comment.  :0



No, Ben, you are mis (Jonathan Mark - 4/4/2006 11:27:19 PM)
No, Ben, you are mistaken.

Tim Kaine will encourage the 8th to upgrade its congressional representation by replacing the current slothful, embarrasing ineffective occupant with Leslie either in 06 or 08. Leslie is needed there, in her home area.

Tim Kaine called for an investigation of the current occupant in 2002, so Kaine knows that the Dems need to clear the decks of rotten decaying wood and listless retired-in-place losers in the 8th.

Tim would hate to lose Leslie from his team (assuming she wins) but he knows how urgent it is to get rid of divisive political figures in the 8th who are dragging the Democratic party down. That will be a sign of what a big guy Tim Kaine is.

Vote for Kaine. He'll clean up the 8th better than Mark Warner did.



Good report, Lowell. (Will Vehrs - 4/4/2006 11:27:19 PM)
Good report, Lowell.  Don't respond to the ill-bred on Race to Richmond.


Good to hear-let's h (Rich - 4/4/2006 11:27:19 PM)
Good to hear-let's hope you have lots of vacation time saved up!  Wouldn't want you doing politicking on "company" time!


With all due respect (Rich - 4/4/2006 11:27:19 PM)
With all due respect Mr. Feld, don't I remember reading somewhere that you worked for the federal government?  What kind of position in the federal government gives one the freedom to listen and report on a political conference on a Wednesday at 10:30AM?


Great post Lowell!!! (Ben - 4/4/2006 11:27:19 PM)
Great post Lowell!!!  I'm voting for Tim Kaine!  He'll do a good job, and keep the Governor's chair warm for Leslie in 09.


Why in the world sho (dcsoup - 4/4/2006 11:27:19 PM)
Why in the world should anything that connects Roberts (the Bush Administration)with some sort of sleaze surprise anyone who is halfway inquisitive? From 1981 through 1983 I was fortunate to have been a member of the security detachment at the USEmbassy-Managua. While the western media kept silent and regurgitated the White House spokesman's rhetoric, my own personal experience with the locals and embassy officials painted a far clearer tale of lies, illegal ops, and innocent lives thrust in the balance. Those two years in Sandinista-ruled Nicaragua were an awesome experience, and have done much to make me very skeptical of much talk that emanates from politicos attached to the Reagan/Bush administrations.....


Reuters is now repor (John Hurley - 4/4/2006 11:27:19 PM)
Reuters is now reporting that Roberts wrote a White House memo recommending that Reagan meet with two groups supporting the contras.

Subsequent to this in 1986, a "Freedom Fighter Night" was proposed to be held at Confederate Memorial Hall.

I rejected the proposal (www.confederate.org) and have been sued ever since.

John Hurley



Where are the invest (Teddy - 4/4/2006 11:27:19 PM)
Where are the investigative reporters here? This deserves at least a media campaign for the information, Freedom of Information request, the people's right to know, etc. Seems a little more important than a blue dress to me.