Arlen Specter: “the subject then arose as to what were the factors related to the famous fundraiser at the Hsi Lai Buddhist Temple on…”

“the subject then arose as to what were the factors related to the famous fundraiser at the Hsi Lai Buddhist Temple on April 29, 1996. The Vice President had received an e-mail from his scheduler asking whether there should be another stop on the April 29 itinerary on top of the ``two fundraisers in San Jose and LA.'' The Vice President responded: If we have already booked the fundraisers, then we have to decline. But the Vice President said he did not know there were any fundraisers, that the Hsi Lai Temple was a fundraiser. Then Harold Ickes sent the Vice President a memorandum on April 10 identifying the Los Angeles fundraiser which would raise $250,000 and a supplemental memorandum on April 25 saying the Los Angeles fundraiser would raise up to $325,000. Within 24 hours of receiving this memorandum, the Vice President was given briefing materials from the Democratic National Committee informing him that the DNC luncheon he would attend on April 29 was at the Buddhist temple. During the course of the event, two of the guests who ate lunch with the Vice President talked about fundraising.”