Gore Admits Fund-Raiser Mistake

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Vice President Al Gore concedes he made a mistake in attending a fund-raiser last year at a Buddhist temple because he knew Democratic contributors were at the event.

"I did not know that it was a fund-raiser. But I knew it was a political event and I knew there were finance people who were going to be present," Gore said in an interview Friday on NBC's "Today" show.

"And so that alone should have told me this was inappropriate, this was a mistake, don't do this. And I take responsibility for that," he said.

Last week, Gore's office said he used a poor choice of words three months ago when he said he originally believed the event, which raised $140,000 for the Democratic Party, was nothing more than "community outreach."

A Democratic Party memo shows that three days before the April 29 luncheon, the Democratic National Committee's finance office told the vice president's office that Gore was expected to "extend appreciation for participant support and inspire political and fund-raising efforts."

The event at the Hsi Lai temple in Hacienda Heights, Calif., prompted questions about whether the party and vice president wrongly used a tax-exempt religious organization for political gain.