Court orders disclosure of Iran-contra report

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington (D.C. Cir.) held in early December that Lawrence E. Walsh, the independent counsel in the Iran-contra investigation, must release the final report on the scandal. The report has been under seal since August.

In November, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the National Security Archive, a private research group, filed a motion seeking disclosure of the report.

The court said in its opinion that not only is it appropriate but, also “in the public interest that as full a disclosure as possible be made.”

The two-volume document will be released, according to the court, subject to some possible deletions of information that may violate federal grand jury secrecy rules or confidentiality laws, but “we anticipate athat these deletions, if any, will be minor,” the court said. The court, however, said that the classified appendix will not be disclosed.

(In Re Oliver North; Media Cousel: Bruce W. Sanford, Washington, D.C.)