The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Benjamin Civiletti, attorney general amid Iran hostage crisis, dies at 87

He also oversaw investigations into scandals that roiled the Carter administration

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October 18, 2022 at 5:20 p.m. EDT
Benjamin Civiletti takes the oath of office for Attorney General during a ceremony at the Justice Department on Aug. 16, 1979. (Anonymous/AP)
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Benjamin Civiletti, who as attorney general advised President Jimmy Carter while the White House struggled over the hostage-taking of 52 Americans after the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979, died Oct. 16 at his home in Lutherville, Md. He was 87.

Mr. Civiletti had health problems related to Parkinson’s, said his wife, Gaile Civiletti.