Bebe Rebozo

Bebe Rebozo was a close friend, confidante, and adviser of Richard Nixon. “Bebe” was a nickname – it’s Spanish for “baby” as he was the youngest of 12 in a Cuban family.

Rebozo was often suspected of criminal activity, but nothing was ever proven, other than a minor tax penalty. Rebozo was also known to broker his access to Nixon. He was briefly investigated for funneling $100,000 to Nixon from Howard Hughes, which was either a bribe or a campaign contribution, depending on who’s telling the story.

Rebozo was rumored to be gay (despite three marriages; two to the same woman, who claims the first one was never consummated). There are opinions that he held romantic feelings for Nixon.

Rebozo died in 1998 at the age of 85.

Why I Looked It Up

On an episode of Veep, President Selina Meyer recollected when her father took her to a Nixon White House dinner as a child:

My father did a lot of [air quotes] “business” with Bebe Rebozo.