Green Reportedly Refused to Testify in April

Thomas C. Green, the Washington lawyer who was present Nov. 25 when classified documents in the Iran- contra case were removed from White House offices, refused to testify before a federal grand jury, the Washington Post reported today.

In the April appearance before the grand jury of independent counsel Lawrence E. Walsh, Green cited several reasons for not testifying, including attorney-client and other privileges and his Fifth-Amendment right against self-incrimination, his lawyer, Earl J. Silbert, told the newspaper Tuesday.

“Mr. Green has always been ready to respond to any questions about his conduct,” Silbert said. “His ability to do so has been restricted” by the reasons he cited.

Fawn Hall, former secretary to Lt. Col. Oliver L. North, testified Monday that Green was with North on Nov. 25 when she took secret National Security Council documents out of the Old Executive Office Building after North’s office had been ordered sealed by security officials.

She said she gave North the documents when the three were in Green’s car and the lawyer asked her what she would say if asked by investigators about other documents she shredded and altered with North on Nov. 21. “We shred every day,” Hall said she replied, and Green approved.

Under questioning, Hall said Green had not tried to dissuade her from thus misleading investigators while under oath. As an officer of a court, Green would be required by law to do so.