Excerpts from Vice President Al Gore's April 1 interview with the Justice Department's Campaign Finance Task Force.
Q: Knowing that you're under oath today, can you tell me what you knew about the Hsi Lai Temple event and when you knew it?
A: We had a lunch. I made a speech. Bob Matsui, who is a close friend of mine, a congressman from California, who also played a role with the DNC finance operation, was also present. And he suggested to me - I asked him for advice about my remarks.
And he said that, he said the, something to the effect that this community wants to know that it's accepted in the United States. And I gave a speech that never mentioned anything to do with fund-raising or finance, because I did not understand it to be a fund-raising event. And then, and then I left.
And subsequent disclosures in the press and subsequent production of memoranda that I never saw at the time showed that - showed what they showed. And the very fact, for me, the very fact that the members of a finance-related event were present at the event was the only connection that I had to the possibility that it was finance-related.
But I did not know that it was a fund-raiser. And I do not to this day know that it was a fund-raiser.
Q: Do you recall having any conversations with anybody about attending?
A: I sure as hell don't recall having - I sure as hell did not have any conversations with anybody saying, this is a fund-raising event. As to whether or not I had any follow-up conversations that said, were we able to set up this event or not, I don't think I did. But I may have. The reason I don't think I did is because I recall the feeling I had, when I looked at the briefing book, and saw, oh, great, I'm going to be able to go see this, this temple.
Q: What was the purpose of the coffees?
A: Well, they were for the president to meet with people who were interested in supporting his polices and his politics. But... I'm not the best source of information on that.
Q: In terms of a fund-raising tool, what was the purpose of the coffees?
A: I don't know. They were on his side of the house. ... I thought they were events that allowed the president to spend time with influential people who wanted to talk about policy, who would at some later time possibly be asked to financially support the DNC. It was certainly not my understanding that they did fund-raising events.
Q: With respect to raising the $108 million, did you have discussions with anybody concerning the role coffees would play in raising that type of money?
A: Well, let me define the term ''raising,'' if I could, because if you mean by it, would they be events at which money was raised, the answer is no.
But it is ... the common practice to have meetings with people who are interested in various subjects, spend time with them, cultivate the relationship, show them the respect that the time signifies, and then, on the basis of the relationship that is built up then and in other ways, ask them to support the DNC, or if you are in the Senate or the House, your campaign fund.
