Oliver North
Oliver North | |
---|---|
President of the National Rifle Association | |
In office September 2018 – April 29, 2019 | |
Preceded by | Pete Brownell |
Succeeded by | Carolyn D. Meadows |
Personal details | |
Born | Oliver Laurence North October 7, 1943 San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse |
Betsy Stuart (m. 1967) |
Children | 4 |
Education | 2nd Marine Division |
Commands | Northern Training Area |
Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Awards | |
Oliver Laurence North (born October 7, 1943) is an American political commentator, television host, military historian, author, and retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel.
A veteran of the Vietnam War, North was a National Security Council staff member during the Iran–Contra affair, a political scandal of the late 1980s. It involved the illegal sale of weapons to the Khomeini regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran to encourage the release of American hostages then held in Lebanon. North formulated the second part of the plan, which was to divert proceeds from the arms sales to support the Contra rebel groups in Nicaragua, sales which had been specifically prohibited under the Boland Amendment. North was granted limited immunity from prosecution in exchange for testifying before Congress about the scheme. He was initially convicted on three felony charges, but the convictions were vacated and reversed and all charges against him dismissed in 1991, on the grounds of immunity.
North unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate seat held by Chuck Robb from Virginia in 1994. In a three-way race, North narrowly lost to Robb by a margin of 2.73%. He then hosted a talk show on Radio America from 1995 to 2003, and hosted War Stories with Oliver North on Fox News from 2001 to 2016. In May 2018, North was elected as president of the National Rifle Association. On April 27, 2019, he resigned amidst a dispute with the organization's chief executive Wayne LaPierre,[1] and was succeeded by Carolyn D. Meadows.[2]
Early life
North was born in
While at Brockport, North spent a summer at the
U.S. Marine Corps career
Vietnam
North served as a
Post-Vietnam
In 1970, North returned to
North's post-Vietnam career included: instructor at the
National Security Council staff
In 1981, North began his assignment to the National Security Council staff in Washington, D.C., where he served as a lobbyist from 1981 to 1983; and deputy director for political–military affairs[15] from 1983 until his reassignment in 1986. In 1983, North was promoted to lieutenant colonel.[16]
During his tenure at the National Security Council, North managed a number of missions. This included leading the hunt for those responsible for the
During his Iran-Contra trial, North spent his last two years on active duty assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps in Arlington County, Virginia. He submitted his request to retire from the Marine Corps effective May 1, 1988, following his indictment for conspiring to defraud the United States by channeling the profits from US arms sales to the Contra rebels in Nicaragua.[17] After his trial and felony convictions, all convictions were reversed on appeal.[18]
Military awards
North received the following military awards and decorations:[8][19][20][21]
Basic Parachutist Badge
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Silver Star Medal
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Bronze Star Medal with Combat V device | |
Purple Heart Medal with one 5⁄16" Gold Star
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Defense Meritorious Service Medal | Meritorious Service Medal |
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat "V' device and two 5⁄16" Gold Stars
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Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with one 5⁄16" Gold Star
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Combat Action Ribbon |
Navy Unit Commendation | Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation with one 3⁄16" bronze star
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National Defense Service Medal |
Vietnam Service Medal with one 3⁄16" silver star | Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with one 3⁄16" bronze star
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Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon
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Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with silver star
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Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with palm and frame
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Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960–device |
Marine Corps Expert Rifle Badge
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Marine Corps Expert Pistol Badge
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Presidential Service Badge |
Iran–Contra affair
North came into the public spotlight as a result of his participation in the Iran–Contra affair, a political scandal during the Reagan administration, in which he claimed partial responsibility for the sale of weapons through intermediaries to Iran, with the profits being channeled to the Contras in Nicaragua. It was alleged that he was responsible for the establishment of a covert network which subsequently funneled those funds to the Contras. Congress passed the Boland Amendment (to the House Appropriations Bill of 1982 and following years),[22] which prohibited the appropriation of U.S. funds by intelligence agencies for the support of the Contras.
North solicited $10 million from the
In an August 23, 1986, e-mail to
North told Poindexter that General Noriega could assist with sabotage against the ruling party of Nicaragua, the Sandinista National Liberation Front. North supposedly suggested that Noriega be paid $1 million in cash from Project Democracy funds raised from the sale of U.S. arms to Iran for the Panamanian leader's help in destroying Nicaraguan economic installations.[26]
In November 1986, as the sale of weapons was made public, North was dismissed by President Ronald Reagan. In an interview with Cigar Aficionado magazine, North said that on February 11, 1987, the Federal Bureau of Investigation detected an attack on North's family[27] from the Peoples Committee for Libyan Students, with an order to kill North. Although government officials later expressed skepticism of this claim,[28] and no charges for this alleged plot were brought,[29] his family was moved to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and lived with federal agents until North retired from the Marine Corps the following year.[30][31]
In July 1987, North was summoned to testify before televised hearings of a joint congressional committee that was formed to investigate the Iran–Contra scandal. During the hearings, North admitted that he had misled Congress,
North was indicted in March 1988 on 16 felony counts.[36] His trial opened in February 1989,[37][38] and on May 4, 1989, he was initially convicted of three: accepting an illegal gratuity, aiding and abetting in the obstruction of a congressional inquiry, and ordering the destruction of documents through his secretary, Fawn Hall. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gerhard Gesell on July 5, 1989, to a three-year suspended prison term, two years probation, $150,000 in fines, and 1,200 hours of community service.[39] North performed some of his community service within Potomac Gardens, a public housing project in southeast Washington, DC.[40] However, with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union,[41] North appealed his conviction to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. On July 20, 1990, the D.C. Circuit vacated North's convictions on the ground that witnesses in his trial might have been impermissibly affected by his immunized congressional testimony.[42]
The individual members of the prosecution team had isolated themselves from news reports and discussion of North's testimony, and while the defense could show no specific instance in which North's congressional testimony was used in his trial, the Court of Appeals ruled that the trial judge had made an insufficient examination of the issue. Consequently, North's convictions were reversed. After further hearings on the immunity issue, Judge Gesell dismissed all charges against North on September 16, 1991.[43]
Politics
This article is part of a series on |
Conservatism in the United States |
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In the
In his failed bid to unseat Robb, North raised $20.3 million in a single year through nationwide direct-mail solicitations, telemarketing, fundraising events, and contributions from major donors. About $16 million of that amount was from direct mail alone. This was the biggest accumulation of direct-mail funds for a statewide campaign to that date, and it made North the top direct-mail political fundraiser in the country in 1994.[45]
Freedom Alliance
In 1990, North founded the Freedom Alliance, a
Beginning in 2003, Sean Hannity has raised over $10 million for the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund through Freedom Concerts and donations from The Sean Hannity Show and its listeners. The charity has been criticized by conservative blogger Debbie Schlussel for distributing too little of its funds for charitable purposes.[47] Hannity, North, and other charity spokespersons say that all of the "net" proceeds from the Freedom Concerts are donated to the fund.[48]
National Rifle Association
On May 7, 2018, the National Rifle Association (NRA) announced that North would become the organization's next president within the following weeks.[49][50] He succeeded Pete Brownell, the incumbent. North is a board member in the NRA and appeared at NRA national conventions in 2007[51] and 2008.[52]
North began his term as president in September 2018.[53]
In April 2019, in the midst of a wide-ranging dispute involving the NRA's chief executive Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's advertising agency Ackerman McQueen, and the NRA's law firm Brewer Attorneys & Counselors,[54] North announced that he would not serve a second term as president,[55][56] ostensibly against his wishes.[57] On April 24, 2019, North asked LaPierre to resign.[54][58] On April 16, 2019, North and NRA first vice president Richard Childress wrote to the chairman of the NRA audit committee and the NRA's secretary and general counsel calling for an independent audit of the billing from the NRA's law firm, Brewer Attorneys & Counselors.[59][60] In an April 24, 2019 letter to the executive committee of the NRA board, North said that he was forming a committee to investigate alleged financial improprieties, allegations which he said threatened the NRA's non-profit status.[59] In an April 25, 2019 letter to the NRA board, LaPierre said that North was threatening to release damaging information about him.[56] On April 27, 2019, in a letter read on his behalf at the NRA's annual convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, North announced he would not serve a second term.[58] North's term ended on April 29, 2019, when he was replaced by Carolyn D. Meadows.[61] On May 3, 2019, Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, and Bob Menendez of New Jersey, members of the Senate Finance Committee, wrote to North, LaPierre, and the NRA's advertising agency Ackerman McQueen requesting copies of the letters to the NRA board by North and LaPierre, seeking documents related to the allegations, and directing records preservation.[62][63]
Media and books
Film, television and radio
North became increasingly known for his media career and appearances. In 1991, he appeared on the first season of
North appeared as himself on many television shows, including the sitcom
In addition, he regularly speaks at both public and private events. North appears in an episode of
In a 1995 episode of the TV series Sliders, North is President of the United States on a parallel Earth.[70]
Nonfiction books
- ISBN 978-0060183349
- One More Mission: Oliver North Returns to Vietnam, co-author David Roth, Zondervan, January 1, 1993, ISBN 978-0310404903
- War Stories: Operation Iraqi Freedom, Regnery History, 2003, ISBN 978-0895260635
- True Freedom: The Liberating Power of Prayer, Multnomah Press, 2003, ISBN 978-1590523636
- A Greater Freedom: Stories of Faith from Operation Iraqi Freedom, B&H Books, 2004, ISBN 978-0805431537
- War Stories II: Heroism in the Pacific, Regnery History, 2004, ISBN 978-0895261090
- War Stories III: The Heroes Who Defeated Hitler, Regnery History, 2005, ISBN 978-0895260147
- American Heroes: In the Fight Against Radical Islam, Broadman & Holman Publishing, 2008, ISBN 978-0805447118
- American Heroes: In Special Operations, Fidelis Books, 2010, ISBN 978-0805447125
- American Heroes: On the Homefront, Threshold Editions, 2013, ISBN 978-1476714325
- Veterans' Lament: Is This the America Our Heroes Fought For?, co-author David Goetsch, Fidelis Books, 2020, ISBN 978-1642935011
Fiction books
- Mission Compromised, co -author Joe Musser, Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002, ISBN 978-0805425505
- The Jericho Sanction, co-author Joe Musser, Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003, ISBN 978-0805425512
- The Assassins, co-author Joe Musser, Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005, ISBN 978-0805425529
- Heroes Proved, Threshold Editions, 2012, ISBN 978-1476706313
- Counterfeit Lies, co-author Bob Hamer, Threshold Editions, 2014, ISBN 978-1476714356
- The Rifleman, Fidelis Books, 2019, ISBN 978-1642933147
- The Giant Awakes, co-author Bob Hamer, Fidelis Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1956454048
Personal life
In 1967, North married Betsy Stuart; they have four children.[71] Although raised in the Roman Catholic faith of his mother, North has long attended Protestant or evangelical services with his wife and children.[72] The Norths live in McLean, Virginia.[73]
References
- ^ politico.com: NRA announces North's resignation on-stage as 'crisis' hits gun lobby
- ^ Sherfinski, David. "Carolyn Meadows to replace Oliver North as new NRA president". The Washington Times. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
- ISBN 978-0060183349. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
- ^ "Obituaries". Los Angeles Times. October 20, 1999.
- ^ "Oliver North site". Oliver North. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- ^ a b "THE PUZZLE OF OLIVER NORTH". Chicago Tribune. March 8, 1987.
- ^ "Top 10 Most Athletic Democrats – #10 Jim Webb". RealClearSports.com. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- ^ a b Cushman, John H. Jr. (July 7, 1987). "Washington Talk; 5 Young Lawyers Who Would Be Heroes ... And A Marine Who Wears a Hero's Ribbons". The New York Times. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
- ^ "Veteran Tributes". Veterantributes.org. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- Duke University Law Center on Law, Ethics, and National Security reprinted from Michigan Law Review, 1998
- ^ "The Man Who Did Too Much – Vol. 28 No. 2". July 13, 1987.
- ^ "Book Review: Son Thang: An American War Crime 1". litigation-essentials.lexisnexis.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
- ISBN 978-0810322035.
- ^ Gerstenzang, James (November 26, 1986). "The Crisis in the White House: The Key Players; Lt. Col. Oliver L. North, A Passion for the Fight Against Communism". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, CA.
- ^ a b Greenwald, John; Beckwith, David; Halevy, David (November 17, 1986). "Washington's Cowboys". Time. Archived from the original on April 8, 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
- ^ "Oliver North profile". Speaker Line-Up 2002. The Bakersfield Business Conference. Archived from the original on August 6, 2007. Retrieved December 23, 2008.
- ^ "North Quits Marines". The New York Times. March 19, 1988. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- Washington Post. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
- ^ Profile, valor.militarytimes.com; accessed January 31, 2016.
- ^ Profile, biography.com; accessed January 31, 2016.
- ^ Oliver North honored by American Legion, legion.org; accessed January 31, 2016.
- ISBN 978-1888363937.
- ^ Butterfield, Fox (May 13, 1987). "North's $10 million Mistake: Sultan's gift lost in a mixup". The New York Times. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- ISBN 1859841392. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
- ^ North American Congress on Latin America (1993). NACLA report on the Americas. Vol. 27. California: NACLA. p. 31. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
- ^ "The Oliver North File". National Security Archive. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
- ^ "An Exclusive Interview with Oliver North". Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
- ^ Murphy, Caryle; Evans, Sandra (July 22, 1988). "D.C. Travel Agent Denies He Had Role in Alleged Plot to Kill Col. North". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
- ^ "The Libyan Travel Bureau: Oliver North was its target – but then maybe not". Time Magazine. Vol. 132, no. 5. August 1, 1988. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
- Hugh Hewitt Show" (Interview). Interviewed by Hugh Hewitt.
- ^ Shenon, Philip (July 21, 1988). "Eight Men Are Charged With Pro-Libya Actions". The New York Times. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
- ^ Rosenberg, Eli (May 8, 2018). "'Olliemania': The stage-worthy scandal that starred Oliver North as a congressional witness". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
- ^ IMDb. Retrieved June 23, 2011
- ^ "Hostile Witnesses". The Washington Post. August 19, 1998. p. 3. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
- ^ "The Iran-Contra Affair • Levin Center". Levin Center. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- ^ Shenon, Philip (March 17, 1988). "North, Poindexter and 2 Others Indicted on Iran–Contra Fraud and Theft Charges". The New York Times (National ed.). p. A00001. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
- ^ Saker, Anne (February 21, 1989). "Oliver North's 'time for judgment' arrived Tuesday with the..." UPI. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
- ^ Johnston, David (February 22, 1989). "North Trial Opens After Long Delay". The New York Times. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
- ^ "1989: Irangate colonel avoids prison". BBC On This Day. July 5, 1989. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
- ^ Crawford, Craig. "One Avenue, Two Faces: White House, Crack House". Archived from the original on December 13, 2013.
- ^ Shenon, Philip (July 21, 1988). "Civil Liberties Union Asks Court To Quash Iran-Contra Indictment". The New York Times. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
- ^ "Walsh Iran/Contra Report – Chapter 2 United States v. Oliver L. North". Fas.org. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
- ^ "Walsh Iran/Contra Report – Chapter 2 United States v. Oliver L. North". Fas.org. Retrieved October 21, 2016..
Quote: "In two days of remand hearings, [Robert C.] McFarlane testified that his trial testimony was 'colored' by, and that he was deeply affected by, North's immunized congressional testimony. Independent Counsel then consented to dismiss the remaining counts of the indictment.... Order, North (D.D.C. Sept. 16, 1991) (dismissing Counts Six, Nine, and Ten of Indictment, with prejudice)." - ^ "Statistics Of The Congressional Election Of November 8, 1994". Clerk.house.gov. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
- ^ "Ollie, Inc.: how Oliver North raised over $20 million in a losing U.S. Senate race". Archived from the original on May 8, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2007.
- ^ "About Freedom Alliance". Freedom Alliance. Archived from the original on August 7, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ Watts, James D. Jr. (August 19, 2010). "A concert with an attitude: Sean Hannity's benefit show isn't without controversy". McClatchy – Tribune Business News. Washington.
- ^ "Cloud Solution Providers, Cloud Based Service Marketplace, Cloud Service Broker - AppDirect". Archived from the original on January 10, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2009.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Shesgreen, Deirdre (May 7, 2018). "Oliver North poised to become next National Rifle Association president". USA Today.
- ^ "Lt. Colonel Oliver North Poised to Become NRA President". NRA.org. National Rifle Association of America. Archived from the original on May 12, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
- ^ "Bolton, Oliver North among speakers at NRA conferences". Showmenews.com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2007. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
- ^ "NRA's Annual Meetings & Exhibits 2008: A Celebration of American Values". NRA Institute for Legislative Action. April 17, 2008.
- ^ Mak, Tim (April 27, 2019). "Oliver North Says He Will Not Seek A 2nd Term As NRA President". NPR. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ^ a b "Oliver North will not serve second term as NRA president amid bitter infighting at gun rights group". CNBC. Associated Press. April 27, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
- ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ^ a b Hakim, Danny (April 27, 2019). "N.R.A. President to Step Down as New York Attorney General Investigates". The New York Times. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
- ^ a b Maremont, Mark (May 11, 2019). "Leaked Letters Reveal Details of NRA Chief's Alleged Spending". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
- ^ Woodruff, Betsy (May 11, 2019). "Leaked Documents: NRA Racked Up $24 Million in Legal Bills". The Daily Beast. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
- ^ Zezima, Katie (May 2, 2019). "Senate Democrats ask NRA execs, PR firm for documents related to alleged self-dealing". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
- ^ Touchberry, Ramsey (May 3, 2019). "Senate Democrats Probe NRA After Ex-President Oliver North Alleged Financial Wrongdoing". Newsweek. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
- ^ Obejas, Achy (November 26, 1997). "His Radio Show Doesn't Air Here Yet, But America's Favorite Loose Cannon Is Getting Plenty of … Northern Exposure". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- Washington Post. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
- ^ "War Stories | Oliver North". Fox News. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
- IMDb
- ^ Totilo, Stephen (May 24, 2012). "Call of Duty Creators Say Oliver North Helped Make Their Game More Authentic". Kotaku. Gizmodo Media Group. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
- ^ Itzkoff, Dave (April 15, 2014). "Oliver North, Now in the Service of TV's K.G.B." The New York Times.
- ^ Sliders - Summer of Love
- ^ "Oliver North profile". U-s-history.com. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
- ^ "London Review of Books: Robert Fisk writes about Oliver North's contributions to the ordeal of the Middle East". London Review of Books. October 27, 1988. pp. 5–6. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
- ^ Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North Speaking to Reporters from Limousine Pictures | Getty Images Retrieved May 8, 2018.
Further reading
- ISBN 1556110537.
- Meyer, Peter (1987). Defiant Patriot: the Life and Exploits of Lt. Colonel Oliver L. North. St. Martin's Press. OCLC 16774532.
- "The Contras, Cocaine, and U.S. Covert Operations". Nsarchive.gwu.edu. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
External links
- Official website
- Oliver North at IMDblist of Oliver North's television appearances
- Freedom Alliance
- Oliver North Features at Creators Syndicate
- "The Oliver North File". The National Security Archive/George Washington University.
- C-SPAN Sen. Inouye Remarks to Oliver North on Military Ethics and Iran-Contra
- Transcript, Audio, Video of North's Opening Statement During the Iran Contra Hearings from AmericanRhetoric.com
- Appearances on C-SPAN