Mr. North emerged in 1986 as a central figure in the Iran-contra affair, in which the Reagan administration used the proceeds from the secret sale of arms to Iran to aid rebel forces in Nicaragua. The nationally televised testimony Mr. North provided to Congress the following year transfixed the nation. In 1989, Mr. North was convicted of destroying government documents, accepting an illegal gratuity and aiding and abetting in the obstruction of Congress. In recent years, Mr. North has been active as a political commentator, author and television host. Mr. North was one of the first political figures to address the crowd at the annual meeting, leading thousands of N.R.A.

Source: New York Times May 07, 2018 18:58 UTC