Fact of the day: Bill Breeden was the only person arrested for anything having to do with the Iran-Contra Affair.
Who is Bill Breeden? He’s from John Poindexter‘s home town and held a sign for a street named in Poindexter’s honor for “ransom.” He was arrested and jailed for this. None of the military or government officials involved with illegally selling weapons or funding a war that the U.S. wasn’t supposed to be involved with or covering up served jail time.
Anyone who thinks that the recent news about Paris going to/from jail/house arrest has anything to do with faith in the justice system is terribly confused, I’m afraid.
(Fact thanks to Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States.)
I think several officials were actually indicted and tried; however, you’re correct that they did not see jail time: some convictions were overturned, some sentenced to probation, and some were still ongoing when H.W. Bush pardoned everyone still involved.