The Nation - News from Jan. 13, 1987

In a prepared statement, the Pentagon dismissed allegations of wrongdoing by Assistant Defense Secretary Richard L. Armitage. The Pentagon said that allegations against Armitage had surfaced more than a year ago in a series of phone calls to his office. But when the caller was tracked down, he never responded to a demand for substantiation. On Sunday, the Boston Globe quoted sources it did not name as saying billionaire H. Ross Perot had asked Vice President George Bush to investigate allegations Armitage was involved in drug and weapons trafficking dating to the 1970s. A Bush spokesman confirmed Perot had raised “evidence of wrongdoing” by Armitage. Perot denied ever alleging Armitage was involved with drugs or weapons but declined comment on whether he told Bush about other concerns he had regarding Armitage.