House Speaker Jim Wright contended today that the Reagan Administration broke the law in seven instances in the Iran- contra affair, and said it is “absolutely beyond belief” that President Reagan could be unaware of that.
Congress, when it passes laws, assumes “that the President will carry out his constitutional obligation to ‘take care that the laws be faithfully executed,’ ” Wright said in a statement. “Unless that assumption can be made with confidence, the constitutional system begins to break down.”
Reagan said last Friday that “I haven’t heard a single word that indicated in any of the (Iran-contra hearing) testimony that laws were broken.”
His spokesman, Marlin Fitzwater, amended that comment Monday to say it applied only to the limited snips of hearings the President had watched on television.
Wright (D-Tex.) said Reagan’s original statement was “very disturbing,” because “several laws clearly were flouted by persons in the Reagan Administration. It is absolutely beyond belief that the President would be unaware of this fact at this late date.”
In his statement, Wright listed the statutes he said had been violated in the affair that sent weapons to Iran and aid to Nicaragua’s contra rebels:
–The National Security Act, which requires that the Administration keep congressional oversight committees “fully and currently informed” of intelligence activities; that in extreme circumstances, such notice may be limited to eight designated senior congressional leaders; and that if prior notice of a covert action is not given, that notice be made “in a timely fashion.” Wright said the Administration failed on all three counts.
–The Arms Export Control Act, which requires a presidential report to Congress if major defense equipment is transferred. “That law was ignored,” Wright said.
–Another section of the same law that prohibits export of arms to countries deemed to be supporting international terrorism, unless the President specifically submits a waiver to Congress. “That law was violated,” said Wright.
–The law appropriating money for the Pentagon prohibits the shifting of intelligence money for other uses without notification to Congress. Wright said that law also was not followed.
–The Boland Amendment, which cut off military aid to the contras by any government agency involved in intelligence activities during much of the time clandestine aid was flowing to the rebels. “That law was flouted,” Wright said.