Lawrence Friedman Interview Transcript

Professor of Law at New England Law Boston

Specializes in American legal history
Interviewed on November 30, 2015 by the Iran-Contra Affair Group
GROUP: Do you believe that the exchanges the Reagan Administration constructed
were constitutionally correct? In other words, did their actions follow the law?
FRIEDMAN: By exchanges, I am assuming you mean arms for hostages. The question
is a complicated one: while the President under the Constitution has primary authority in
conducting foreign relations, he shares authority with Congress when it comes to national
security, and Congress under the Constitution has the power of the purse. This means that
the Boland Amendment was likely constitutional, but also that the President arguably
could seek other means of funding efforts he believed vital to the national interest.
GROUP: Do you consider Reagans involvement in the Iran-Contra affairs an
impeachable offense?
FRIEDMAN: The Constitution defines impeachable offenses as Treason, Bribery, or
other High crimes and Misdemeanors. Its up to the House of Representatives to
determine whether a given act qualifies as a high crime or misdemeanor. In other
words, that is a political determination, not a legal one.
GROUP: Many politicians and Americans regard President Reagan as the best
president of all time. Why was Reagans time in the oval office so transformative, or
radical?
FRIEDMAN: Perhaps it was neither transformative nor radical; in retrospect, Reagan
governed from the middle, and was lucky enough to be President as the Soviet Union
crumbled under its own weight and to receive the credit. Again, thats just one persons
opinion.