May-June 1997On March 29, Congressional investigators learned that Jorge Cabrera, now a convicted drug smuggler, had been solicited for a campaign contribution in 1995 at the Copacabana Hotel in Havana by Vivian Mannerud, a Cuban-American businesswoman and prominent Democratic fund-raiser. In exchange for a donation, Cabrera was promised an invitation to a fund-raising dinner in honor of Al Gore near Miami (Don Van�Natta Jr., "A�Felon's Donation to Democrats Was Sought in Cuba, Inquiry Says," New York Times, April�4, 1997, p.�A1; Don Van�Natta Jr., "Democrat solicited drug smuggler," Chicago Tribune, April�4, 1997, s.�1, p.�6).
Several days after that meeting in November 1995, Cabrera wrote a $20,000 check to the Democratic National Committee from an account that included proceeds from smuggling cocaine into the U.S. from Colombia, an investigator said under condition of anonymity. Cabrera met Vice President Gore at the Miami dinner within two weeks of the contribution. Ten days later, Cabrera attended a Christmas party hosted by Hillary Clinton at the White House.
Three weeks later, Cabrera, who had two felony convictions dating back to the 1980s, was arrested for importing 6,000 pounds of cocaine into the U.S. He pleaded guilty to those charges and is now serving a 19-year sentence in a Florida prison. The DNC said the donation from Cabrera was returned in October 1996. Congressional investigators, who are probing alleged campaign fund-raising abuses, learned of Cabrera'a donation during interviews with Cabrera.
