Meese, Edwin, III (1931– )

US attorney general 1985–88 who was among President Ronald Reagan's most important advisors. As chair of the Domestic Policy Council and the National Drug Policy Board, and as a member of the National Security Council (NSC), Meese played a key role in the development and execution of US domestic and foreign policy in the 1980s. As a conservative deputy district attorney 1958–67 and California legal affairs secretary 1967–74, he prosecuted antiwar students on behalf of governor Ronald Reagan. He became Reagan's presidential counsel 1981–85 and later, as attorney general, was accused of impeding the Iran–Contra investigation by allowing conspirators to destroy evidence.

Meese was born in Oakland, California. He was educated at Yale University and the University of California at Berkeley. In the 1970s, he was director of the Center for Criminal Justice Policy and Management 1977–80 and a law professor at the University of San Diego.