Oliver North

1943 – 20??

Oliver Laurence North is a retired U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant colonel and political commentator who as a National Security Council staff member became the central operational figure of the Iran-Contra affair, illegally selling weapons to Iran and diverting the proceeds to fund the Nicaraguan Contras in defiance of an explicit congressional ban. He was convicted in 1989 of three felony counts including aiding and abetting the obstruction of Congress, but his convictions were vacated on appeal because his testimony had been compelled under a grant of immunity. He later served as president of the National Rifle Association from 2018 to 2019.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM