North and Poindexter Excluded : House Panel Will Support Some Offers of Immunity

The House select committee investigating the Iran- contra scandal is expected to vote Thursday to grant limited immunity from prosecution to perhaps seven of the lower-level figures in the probe.

Committee Chairman Lee Hamilton (D-Ind.) said that Democrats had agreed in a closed caucus Tuesday to recommend the immunity action, which requires the approval of two-thirds of the panel and a federal court. The committee’s Republicans, who discussed the immunity issue in their own caucus, have been pressing for broad grants of immunity and, therefore, are considered certain to go along with the Democrats’ request.

Hamilton told reporters that immunity was being sought for several people who are “important for us to hear,” although they do not include the two principal figures in the inquiry, Vice Adm. John M. Poindexter and Marine Lt. Col. Oliver L. North.

North, Poindexter Excluded

“We believe that neither Mr. North nor Mr. Poindexter should be granted immunity at this point,” Hamilton said. “We simply don’t understand the facts with respect to their participation. Until we understand those factors, we think that granting immunity to either of them would be premature.”

Hamilton said that independent counsel Lawrence E. Walsh had no objection to the committee’s immunity plans, which were made in close coordination with the select Senate committee that is also investigating the scandal. Walsh has objected to any hasty granting of immunity by congressional committees that could keep him from developing sufficient evidence that could be used in court.

A source said that the House committee plans to seek limited immunity for at least three and perhaps as many as seven people who probably would be called to testify in early April.

Limited Immunity Seen

Presumably, one of those witnesses would be Fawn Hall, North’s former secretary, who has said in recent days that she helped the former National Security Council official destroy and alter documents as the investigations began to unfold.

The limited immunity offered by the House committee would prevent prosecutors from using the witnesses’ testimony against them or developing any leads from their testimony. Evidence that could be used against those witnesses would have to be developed independently of their congressional testimony.