Week of May 1, 1987
President Reagan insists that he was unaware that private money was used to
purchase arms for the contras and voiced hope that congressional hearings will
answer “some of the things that I’m still waiting to learn” about the Iran arms
scandal.
Diana Rice - Gary Hart concedes that he made “a mistake” by behaving in a way
that could be misunderstood, but he says he “absolutely did not” do anything
“immoral.”
Lee Hart, ending three days of silence over her husband’s controversial weekend
with actress-model Donna Rice, flies to New Hampshire to campaign at the side
of her husband - Gary Hart. She says she believes him.
Later -
Gary Hart
suspends his Democratic
presidential campaign in the midst of the
continuing uproar over his weekend encounter
with Donna Rice.
Iran-Contra congressional hearings - retired Air
Force Maj. Gen Richard Secord testifies that the
Nicaraguan rebels received only $3.5 million of
the $18 million from Iran arms sale profits - less
than originally estimated.
Public relations executive Richard Miller becomes the second person to plead
guilty to charges in the Iran-contra scandal, admitting he conspired with fired
White House aide Oliver L. North and conservative fund-raiser Carl R. Channell
to illegally use a tax-exempt foundation to raise money to arm the Nicaraguan
rebels.
Passing - William J. Casey, World War II spymaster. He was 74.
Alleging a “conspiracy of silence and deceit,” in the building of space shuttle
rocket boosters, Jane Smith, the widow of Challenger pilot Michael J. Smith files
a $1.5 billion lawsuit that also demands that Morton Thiokol Inc be barred from
further work on the shuttle program. The complaint says Morton Thiokol ignored
a history of problems with shuttle rocket joints and warnings by its on engineers
for the sole purpose of protecting its monopoly in the supply of solid rocket
boosters to NASA and its very lucrative SRB contract with NASA.
