Jan. 10, 1963 - Richard Cardinal Cushing (pictured right), Roman Catholic archbishop of Boston, revealed today that he is the “mysterious donor” who raised $1 million to help liberate the prisoners captured in the April 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. The prelate said he was disclosing his part in the raising of the ransom money because of “rumors crediting this gift as coming from sources with which I have no identification.” In Washington, a Justice Department spokesman confirmed that it was Cardinal Cushing whom Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy called to obtain the $1 million pledge. “The sum was given by donors in many parts of the U.S. and in some parts of Latin America,” said Cardinal Cushing, adding that some of the money was already available as a result of gifts received when he became a sponsor of the Cuban Families Committee. “I wanted no publicity about this pledge because I was only a voice appealing for those who could not appeal for themselves,” he said.
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