Former President Ronald Reagan was questioned under oath about the Iran-Contra scandal for the first time Friday, but the federal courtroom where he faced John Poindexter's lawyers was closed to the public. Reagan arrived at a back entrance of the downtown Los Angeles courthouse Friday morning and was escorted to the second floor, where he entered Courtroom No. 8 to give a deposition on videotape for the trial of Poindexter, who was his White House national security adviser.
The former president looked fit and waved goodnaturedly but made no comment to reporters, who were kept back about 50 feet from the courtroom door by Secret Service agents, deputy U.S. marshals and building security guards.Poindexter, who faces five felony counts in connection with the secret sale of arms to Iran and covert efforts to aid the Contra rebels in Nicaragua, has sought testimony by Reagan to establish that his activities were authorized by the president. During a late-morning break in the proceedings, Poin-dexter emerged from the courtroom, smiled as he passed reporters and threw his hands up and chuckled when asked how the hearing was going.
Reagan, in a surprise move that ended a long legal fight, agreed last week to testify on videotape, under oath and subject to cross-examination. U.S. District Judge Harold Greene ruled that Reagan could be asked 154 questions by Poindexter's lawyers, plus legitimate follow-up inquiries.
Lawyers for special prosecutor Lawrence Walsh also were present to cross-examine Reagan, who has never testified under oath about the scandal that wracked the final years of his second term.
The 79-year-old former president was assisted by his own lawyers and lawyers from the Justice Department. Greene traveled to California to preside over the questioning.
The interrogation - closed to the public and news media at Reagan's insistence and with Greene's approval - was to be videotaped and then edited to delete any national security information that Reagan might inadvertently disclose.
Greene has said the editing will be accomplished quickly and the tape released for public scrutiny. The finished videotape is to be shown to the jury at Poindexter's trial, set to begin March 5.