Oliver North | |
|---|---|
.jpg) North in 2023 | |
| President of theNational Rifle Association | |
| In office September 2018 – April 29, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Pete Brownell |
| Succeeded by | Carolyn D. Meadows |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Oliver Laurence North (1943-10-07)October 7, 1943 (age 82) San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | State University of New York, Brockport United States Naval Academy (BS) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1968–1990 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant colonel |
| Unit | 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines (Vietnam) 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines 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 retiredUnited States Marine Corpslieutenant colonel.
A veteran of theVietnam War, North was aNational Security Council staff member during theIran–Contra affair, a political scandal of the late 1980s. It involved the illegal sale of weapons to theKhomeini regime of the Islamic Republic ofIran to encourage the release ofAmerican hostages then held in Lebanon. North formulated the second part of the plan, which was to divert proceeds from the arms sales tosupport theContra rebel groups in Nicaragua, official funding for which had been specifically prohibited under theBoland Amendment. North was grantedlimited 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 byChuck Robb from Virginia in1994. In a three-way race, North narrowly lost to Robb by a margin of 2.73%. He then hosted a talk show onRadio America from 1995 to 2003, and hostedWar Stories with Oliver North onFox News from 2001 to 2016. In May 2018, North was elected as president of theNational Rifle Association. On April 27, 2019, he resigned amidst a dispute with the organization's chief executiveWayne LaPierre,[1] and was succeeded byCarolyn D. Meadows.[2]
North was born inSan Antonio, Texas, on October 7, 1943, the son of Ann Theresa (née Clancy) and Oliver Clay North, a U.S. Army major.[3][4] He grew up inPhilmont, New York, and graduated fromOckawamick Central High School in 1961. He attended theState University of New York at Brockport for two years.[5]
While at Brockport, North spent a summer at theUnited States Marine CorpsPlatoon Leaders Class atMarine Corps Base Quantico inVirginia, and gained an appointment to theUnited States Naval Academy in 1963. He received his commission assecond lieutenant in 1968, having missed a year due to serious back and leg injuries from anauto accident in which a classmate was killed.[6] One of North's classmates at the academy was futuresecretary of the Navy and U.S. senatorJim Webb, whom he beat in a middleweight championshipboxing match at Annapolis.[7] (North had shown films of this match to Marine Medical Corps officials to prove that he had fully recovered from his serious accident and could endure the rigors of midshipman training.[6]) Their graduating class includedDennis C. Blair,Michael Mullen,Jay L. Johnson,Charles Bolden andMichael Hagee.
North served as aplatoon commander during theVietnam War, where during hiscombat service, he was awarded theSilver Star,Bronze Star Medal withCombat V, and twoPurple Heart medals.[8] At the time of his being awarded the Silver Star, North was a platoon commander leading his Marines inOperation Virginia Ridge. North led a counter-assault against thePeople's Army of Vietnam, as his platoon took on heavy machine gun fire and rocket propelled grenades. Throughout the battle, North displayed "courage, dynamic leadership and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave personal danger".[9]
In 1970, North returned toSouth Vietnam to testify as a character witness at the trial of Lance Corporal Randall Herrod, a U.S. Marine formerly under his command who, along with four others, had been charged with the murder of sixteen Vietnamese civilians in the village ofSon Thang.[10] North claims Herrod had previously saved his life.[11] Herrod and one other Marine were acquitted.[12]
North's post-Vietnam career included: instructor at theMarine Basic School from 1969 to 1974; director of theNorthern Training Area inOkinawa, Japan (1973–1974); plans and policy analyst with the manpower division atHeadquarters Marine Corps from 1975 to 1978; and operations officer (S3) for3rd Battalion, 8th Regiment,2nd Marine Division atCamp Lejeune (1978–80).[13] He graduated from theCollege of Naval Command and Staff at theNavy War College in 1981.[14]
In 1981, North began his assignment to theNational 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 tolieutenant 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 the1983 Beirut barracks bombing that killed 299 American and French military personnel, an effort that saw North arrange a mid-air interception of anEgyptAir jet carrying those responsible for theAchille Lauro hijacking. While at the National Security Council, he also helped plan the U.S.invasion of Grenada and the 1986bombing of Libya.[15]
During his Iran-Contra trial, North spent his last two years on active duty assigned toHeadquarters Marine Corps inArlington County, Virginia. He submitted his request to retire from the Marine Corps effective May 1, 1988, following his indictment forconspiring 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]
North received the following military awards and decorations:[8][19][20][21]
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| BasicParachutist Badge | ||
| Silver Star Medal | Bronze Star Medal withCombat V device | |
| Purple Heart Medal with one5⁄16" Gold Star | Defense Meritorious Service Medal | Meritorious Service Medal |
| Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat "V' device and two5⁄16" Gold Stars | Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with one5⁄16" Gold Star | Combat Action Ribbon |
| Navy Unit Commendation | Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation with one3⁄16" bronze star | National Defense Service Medal |
| Vietnam Service Medal with one3⁄16" silver star | Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with one3⁄16" bronze star | Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon |
| Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with silver star | Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with palm and frame | Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960–device |
| Marine Corps Expert Rifle Badge | Marine Corps Expert Pistol Badge | |
| Presidential Service Badge |
North came into the public spotlight as a result of his participation in theIran–Contra affair, a political scandal during the Reagan administration, in which he claimed partial responsibility for the sale of weapons through intermediaries toIran, with the profits being channeled to theContras 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 theBoland 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 theSultan of Brunei to skirt U.S. prohibitions on funding the Contras. However, he gave the wrong number of the Swiss bank account intended to launder the money, and it went instead to a Swiss businessman. A Senate committee investigating the transaction tracked it down so it could be returned to Brunei.[23]
In an August 23, 1986, e-mail toNational Security AdvisorJohn Poindexter, North described a meeting with a representative of Panamanian GeneralManuel Noriega: "You will recall that over the years Manuel Noriega in Panama and I have developed a fairly good relationship," North writes before explaining Noriega's proposal. If U.S. officials can "help clean up his image" and lift the ban on arms sales to the Panamanian Defense Force, Noriega will "'take care of' theSandinista leadership for us."[24][25]
North told Poindexter that General Noriega could assist with sabotage against the ruling party of Nicaragua, theSandinista National Liberation Front. North supposedly suggested that Noriega be paid $1 million in cash fromProject 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 PresidentRonald Reagan. In an interview withCigar Aficionado magazine, North said that on February 11, 1987, theFederal 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 toCamp Lejeune inNorth 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,[32] for which, along with other actions, he was later charged. He defended his actions by stating that he believed in the goal of aiding the Contras, whom he saw asfreedom fighters against the Sandinistas and said that he viewed the Iran–Contra scheme as a "neat idea."[33] North admitted shredding government documents related to these activities atWilliam Casey's suggestion when the Iran–Contra scandal became public. He also testified thatRobert McFarlane had asked him to alter official records to delete references to direct assistance to the Contras and that he had helped.[34]
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 JudgeGerhard 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 withinPotomac Gardens, a public housing project in southeast Washington, DC.[40] However, with the help of theAmerican Civil Liberties Union,[41] North appealed his conviction to theU.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]
In the1994 election, North unsuccessfully ran for theUnited States Senate as theRepublican Party candidate inVirginia. Republican senatorJohn Warner of Virginia endorsedMarshall Coleman, a Republican who ran as an independent, instead of North. North lost, garnering 43 percent of votes, while incumbentDemocratCharles Robb,[44] a son-in-law of PresidentLyndon B. Johnson, won reelection with 46 percent. Coleman received 11 percent. North's candidacy was documented in the 1996 filmA Perfect Candidate.[33]
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]
In 1990, North founded the Freedom Alliance, a501(c)(3) foundation "to advance the American heritage of freedom by honoring and encouraging military service, defending the sovereignty of the United States, and promoting a strong national defense." The foundation's primary activities include providing support for wounded combat soldiers and providing scholarships for the children of service members killed in action.[46]
Beginning in 2003,Sean Hannity has raised over $10 million for the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund through Freedom Concerts and donations fromThe Sean Hannity Show and its listeners. The charity has been criticized by conservative bloggerDebbie 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]
On May 7, 2018, theNational 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 executiveWayne LaPierre, the NRA's advertising agencyAckerman 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 presidentRichard 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'snon-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 inIndianapolis, Indiana, North announced he would not serve a second term.[58] North's term ended on April 29, 2019, when he was replaced byCarolyn D. Meadows.[61] On May 3, 2019, SenatorsRon Wyden of Oregon,Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, andBob Menendez of New Jersey, members of theSenate Finance Committee, wrote to North, LaPierre, and the NRA's advertising agencyAckerman 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]
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North became increasingly known for his media career and appearances. In 1991, he appeared on the first season ofThe Jerry Springer Show. From 1995 to 2003, North was host of his ownnationally syndicatedtalk radio show onRadio America, which was known as theOliver North Radio Show orCommon Sense Radio With Oliver North.[64] He also served as co-host ofEqual Time onMSNBC from 1999 to 2000.[65] North was the host of the television showWar Stories with Oliver North from 2001 to 2016 and is a regular commentator onHannity, both on theFox News Channel.[66]
North appeared as himself on many television shows, including the sitcomWings in 1991, and three episodes of the TV military dramaJAG in 1995, 1996, and 2002 as "Ollie", a close friend of the deceased father ofTracey Needham's characterMeg Austin.[67] He has also appeared as himself in several film documentaries.
In addition, he regularly speaks at both public and private events. North appears in an episode ofAuction Kings to have his Marine Corps sword returned after it was lost and presumably stolen in 1980. North was credited as a military consultant in the 2012 video gameCall of Duty: Black Ops II and voiced himself in acutscene.[68] In Season 4, Episode 15"Stanny Slickers II: The Legend of Ollie's Gold" of the TV seriesAmerican Dad! Stan Smith searches under his house for Oliver North's hidden gold. In 2014, he received story credit for anepisode of the TV seriesThe Americans where the Soviet spy protagonists infiltrate a Contra training base in the United States.[69]
In 1967, North married Betsy Stuart; the couple had four children.[70] Although raised in the Roman Catholic faith of his mother, North attended Protestant or evangelical services with his wife and children.[71] The Norths lived inMcLean, Virginia.[72]
Betsy North died on November 16, 2024 ofcorticobasal syndrome.[73]
On August 27, 2025, North marriedFawn Hall, his former secretary, in a private ceremony in rural Virginia.[74]
A double-page comic strip satire, "Col. Ollie," appreared in the long-defunctClinton Street Quarterly, in the summer of 1987.[75]
In a 1995 episode of the TV seriesSliders, Cornel North [sic] isPresident of the United States on a parallel Earth.[76]
Oliver North is the focus of episode 15,Season 4 of the animated seriesAmerican Dad! It is rumored North buried a treasure under the main family's home, protagonist Stan Smith trying to find the treasure for himself. A musical recounting the Iran-Contra affair also appears in the episode.[77]
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Data from Wikidata
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Maurice Dawkins | Republican nominee forU.S. Senator fromVirginia (Class 1) 1994 | Succeeded by |
| Non-profit organization positions | ||
| Preceded by | President of theNational Rifle Association 2018–2019 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
