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Donald Regan on Principles & Values
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Resigned as a result of the Iran-Contra scandal
[As a result of the Iran-Contra scandal] I knew that I was mortally wounded and that for the sake of the country, the President, and my own reputation and peace of mind I must remove myself from the White House as soon as possible.
The "Newsweek" story, of course, destroyed the last vestige of any possibility that I might honorably resign as Chief of Staff before the Tower Board issued its report.
If I did that now, my action would be taken as an admission of guilt and my name would be blackened beyond recall.Even as I left the Oval Office, angry and humiliated, yet understanding the rules that Presidents and their servants live by,
I believed that this President, genial and kind and good at heart, and surely grateful for the six years of loyal service I had given him, would do me no harm in my last hours at his side. In that, I was very much mistaken.
Source: For the Record, by Donald Regan, p. 95-98
, May 2, 1988
Page last updated: Sep 28, 2018