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October 24, 1996
First Lady Photo-OP with Convicted Cocaine Dealer Inside White House Secured
Perimeter!
by Staff Journalists, The Daily Republican Newspaper
[INLINE] WASHINGTON DESK - The Justice Department released on
Wednesday photographs showing a convicted Miami cocaine trafficker
who is seen standing next to and posing with vice president Al
Gore. The two were attending a party in Florida last December.
Apparently, Cabrera was asked to make a large donation to the
Clinton-Gore campaign in exchange for perks like hob-nobbing with
Al Gore and the first lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Jorge Cabrera's cash contributions to the Clinton-Gore campaign
were so generous, that Cabrera was also invited to the White House
and gained entrance there without any FBI & Secret Service security
clearance.
[INLINE] CNN reported Wednesday that Cabrera's attorney, Stephen
Bronis, said $20,000(given to the Clinton-Gore campaign) was not
intended to buy protection for drug smuggling.
'He had a lobster and stone crab fishery in the Keys and felt that
contribution might promote that future course,' Bronis said.
The Clinton-Gore campaign only returned the $20,000 last week after
the full story had reached ABC News, and the Clinton administration
had been asked for comment by the media.
Cabrera was arrested in January during a Miami drug bust of nearly
three tons of cocaine. Cabrera was arrested and pleaded guilty to
one drug count. He was also imprisoned in the 1980s on narcotics
charges.
A report that the picture of Cabrera and Gore had been impounded by
the Justice Department prompted an angry reaction from Republicans,
including Bob Dole's presidential campaign, House Speaker Newt
Gingrich and Rep. Bob Livingston of Louisiana, chairman of the
House Appropriations Committee.
Republicans sent letters to Attorney General Janet Reno and the
directors of the FBI and the Secret Service seeking information
about Cabrera and the campaign contribution.
Livingston asked the federal agencies for a complete accounting of
the facts relating to the story within three days: whether Cabrera
had dined at the White House, details of his relationship with
Clinton and Gore and, if he did dine with them, how he passed FBI &
Secret Service scrutiny to gain access to them.
The U.S. attorney's office in Miami was contacted by reporters.
Justice said it would not provide photographs of Cabrera and Gore
in Florida and at the White House when reporters requested them on
Monday. The Justice Department attempted to claim that Cabrera's
story is covered by the Privacy Act law in turning down the media
request for information on the arrest for cocaine possession of
tons of the illegal drug and dealing.
Janet Reno put out information that the photo of Cabrera with Gore
and Clinton could not be released without the consent of Cabrera.
Later, the Justice Department did release the photographs after
Cabrera submitted written authorization.
The delay by the Justice Department appeared to be an effort to
distance itself from accusations that are mounting from the
American public that the Justice Department is receiving guidance
from the Clinton White House and the vice president's office on the
timing of Janet Reno's investigation.
Justice says it is looking into the breach of National Security by
Cabrera's ready access to secured areas of the White House and its
grounds when he entered as an invited quest of president Clinton
for dinner and photo-ops.
COMMENT
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