President Ronald Reagan did whatever it took to free U.S. hostages held in Lebanon and fund the Contra anti-communists. Loyal National Security Council aides Oliver North and John Poindexter got the job done, while Attorney General Ed Meese worked more as a personal defense attorney than the nation's chief law enforcement official. The FBI, however, stayed faithful to the Constitution and continued to investigate. As the stakes were raised in trials and testimony, Reagan's team shredded documents, perjured themselves and concealed evidence.