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Independent counsel Lawrence E. Walsh, who was appointed to investigate the legality of the affair, determined that under the Arms Export Control Act <ref> http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode22/usc_sup_01_22_10_39_20_II.html </ref> such sales to foreign powers not deemed under the term of the act friendly are illegal. <ref> http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/walsh/execsum.htm </ref> The payments to the Contras themselves, while not illegal at the time, were considered highly unethical and were later made explicitly illegal by the Borland amendment to the Federal Appropriation Bill. In addition to the major crimes committed, the official legal opinion recorded that the Reagan administration set about deliberately misleading congress and was further guilty of wilful obstruction of justice by withholding and destroying vital documentary evidence.  

Independent counsel Lawrence E. Walsh, who was appointed to investigate the legality of the affair, determined that under the Arms Export Control Act <ref> http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode22/usc_sup_01_22_10_39_20_II.html </ref> such sales to foreign powers not deemed under the term of the act friendly are illegal. <ref> http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/walsh/execsum.htm </ref> The payments to the Contras themselves, while not illegal at the time, were considered highly unethical and were later made explicitly illegal by the Borland amendment to the Federal Appropriation Bill. In addition to the major crimes committed, the official legal opinion recorded that the Reagan administration set about deliberately misleading congress and was further guilty of wilful obstruction of justice by withholding and destroying vital documentary evidence.  

Some commentators have gone as far as to suggest that that members of the Reagan administration were guilty of treason in the affair, as selling arms to Iran at a time when Iranians were accused of destroying the US Marine Barracks in Lebanon, killing 241 American service personnel, constituted "adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort." This was not, however, included as part of the official legal opinion at the time.

The selling arms to Iran at a time when Iranians were accused of destroying the US Marine Barracks in Lebanon, killing 241 American service personnel, constituted "adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort." This was not, however, included as part of the official legal opinion at the time.

After the arms sales were revealed in November 1986, President Ronald Reagan appeared on national television and denied that they had occurred. However, a week later, on November 13, he returned to the airwaves to affirm that weapons were indeed transferred to Iran. He denied that they were part of an exchange for hostages. It later emerged from minutes of the National Security Advisory Group that Reagan not only knew about sales of weapons at the time, but also that he knew that such sales were illegal. One section of the minutes of a June 1984 meeting has him quoted as saying "If such a story gets out, we'll all be hanging by our thumbs in front of the White House until we find out who did it." <ref> NSPG Minutes, 6/25/84, ALU 007876. </ref>

After the arms sales were revealed in November 1986, President Ronald Reagan appeared on national television and denied that they had occurred. However, a week later, on November 13, he returned to the airwaves to affirm that weapons were indeed transferred to Iran. He denied that they were part of an exchange for hostages. It later emerged from minutes of the National Security Advisory Group that Reagan not only knew about sales of weapons at the time, but also that he knew that such sales were illegal. One section of the minutes of a June 1984 meeting has him quoted as saying "If such a story gets out, we'll all be hanging by our thumbs in front of the White House until we find out who did it." <ref> NSPG Minutes, 6/25/84, ALU 007876. </ref>