John Tower – 1925-1991

Tower, a conservative Republican senator from Texas, was appointed on December 1, 1986, by President Ronald Reagan to chair a commission charged with investigating the National Security Council and its role in the Iran- Contra affair, by which arms were to be illegally sold to Iran in exchange for Iran’s help in freeing American hostages held in Lebanon; profits from the arms sales were to be illegally funneled to the “contras,” the right-wing opponents of the leftist Sandinista regime in Nicaragua. Tower delivered the commission’s report on February 26, 1987. To the surprise of many, who expected a whitewash, the report criticized the council and although it did not conclude that the president was aware of the extent of the illegal scheme, it also criticized him for lacking control over council staff.