Hearings Show Lawlessness, Greed--Wright

House Speaker Jim Wright blasted the Reagan Administration today, saying the Iran- contra hearings revealed “arrogance, lawlessness, greed” and deliberate attempts to deceive the American public and Congress.

The Texas Democrat said the worst scandal of the Reagan presidency would not have occurred if the Administration had “shown any regard for the President’s constitutional obligation that the laws be faithfully executed.”

Wright made his comments a day after the congressional Iran-contra committees recessed for nearly two weeks.

Wright cited testimony by Assistant Secretary of State Elliott Abrams that he had not been “authorized to tell the truth” in a congressional appearance last fall and by Fawn Hall, Lt. Col. Oliver L. North’s former secretary, who said there were times “you have to go above the written law.” Hall later withdrew her statement.

Sen. George J. Mitchell (D-Me.), a member of the Senate Iran-contra panel, said it is clear from Hall’s comments and others that there are people “who thought that their patriotism and their commitment to the cause was more important than obeying the law.”

“It is clear that what Fawn Hall blurted out (Tuesday) represented the attitude of many of those involved,” Mitchell said in a telephone interview.

Justification for Evasion

“It is clear there is an effort under way to create the impression that patriotism, commitment to a cause, sincerity of belief, lack of venal motive somehow combined to justify evading the law,” he added.

In another development, special prosecutor Lawrence Walsh made a rare appearance before the federal grand jury investigating the Iran-contra affair.

After meeting with the panel for 15 minutes, Walsh declined to comment on when he might seek further indictments in the case. He indicated to reporters that the grand jury may be stepping up its activities in July.

Two people--conservative fund-raiser Carl R. (Spitz) Channell and public relations executive Richard R. Miller--have pleaded guilty to an illegal tax scheme to arm the Nicaraguan rebels and named North as a co-conspirator.