Oliver North shredding government documents related to these activities at William Casey's suggestion when the Iran-Contra scandal became public. He also testified that Robert McFarlane had asked him to alter official records to delete references to direct assistance to the Contras and that he had helped. North was tried in 1988. He was indicted on 16 felony counts, and on May 4, 1989, he was initially convicted of three: accepting an illegal gratuity, aiding and abetting in the obstruction of a congressional inquiry, and ordering the destruction of documents through his secretary, Fawn Hall. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gerhard
North Carolina Secretary of State has, since American independence in 1776, historically had a very low rate of turnover. Only eight individuals held the office during the first hundred years of statehood; William Hill served as secretary for 46 years continuously, from 1811 until his death in 1857. Remarkably, in the 20th century, Thad A. Eure broke even this record, holding the post for 53 consecutive years, from 1936 to 1989. From 1776 to 1868, the Secretary of State was elected by the state legislature. Under the North Carolina Constitutions of 1868 and 1971, the Secretary of State is elected every four years by a