According2Sam #68

When Richard Nixon resigned in the middle of his second term the Republican brand was at its lowest point since the founding of the party. The party was associated with scandal and had lost trust with the American people. However, when Ronald Reagan was elected 6 years later it was a chance to show the American people that the party had changed. When the Iran-Contra scandal broke in the middle of Reagan's second term it not only threatened his presidency and his cabinet, but the integrity of the entire party was at stake. The Iran-Contra scandal had the potential to make Ronald Reagan the second consecutive Republican President elected to resign or be impeached because of a scandal. Both scandals involved presidential abuses of power, and nefarious activities by the CIA. The CIA was also distrusted, and had a brand problem after an airing of their dirty laundry in the 1975 Church Committee hearings. The Iran-Contra scandal had the potential to bring even more scrutiny on the agency. What is the Iran-Contra scandal, and how did the Reagan administration and CIA avoid being held accountable for it? Join the conversation and get answers to these questions and more on According2Sam episode #68.