Reagan was able to avoid direct blame for the Iran-Contra affair by maintaining plausible deniability and delegating tasks to his advisors. He claimed that he was not aware of the details of the operation and that he only found out about it later. Reagan also relied on his staff to carry out the illegal activities, such as Oliver North and other key players in the scandal. By distancing himself from the day-to-day operations of the affair, Reagan was able to deflect criticism and maintain his image as a strong and principled leader.
