Congresswoman Archives

Turkish Group, Congresswoman Fined for Campaign Fraud

June 22, 2016 By administrator

Former Republican Congresswoman Jean Schmidt faces a $2,500 fine for not reporting legal assistance provided by a pro-Turkish group. (Photo: Associated Press/Alex Brandon)

CINCINNATI, Ohio (Cincinnati Enquirer)—Former Republican Congresswoman Jean Schmidt faces a $2,500 fine for not reporting legal assistance provided by a pro-Turkish group, reported the Cincinnati Enquirer.

The Turkish Coalition of America Inc., which aided Schmidt in several legal disputes connected to her political career, will pay a $25,000 fine, the Federal Election Commission said in its letter to all parties in the matter.

The June 10 agreement with the FEC comes nearly five years after Schmidt’s political opponent, David Krikorian, leveled the accusation, which was a part of a multi-front battle between the two over Schmidt’s support of Turkey in Congress and Krikorian’s characterizations about her support.

Neither Schmidt nor Krikorian are in politics anymore, but the battle has continued, long after voters rejected them both.

The Armenian National Committee of America issued a statement after the 2012 Congressional elections, highlighting Schmidt’s ties to groups campaigning for the denial of the Armenian genocide. “We welcome Congresswoman Jean Schmidt’s rejection by Ohio voters. The ethics investigation into her impermissible financial ties with genocide-denial groups allied with Ankara clearly contributed meaningfully to her defeat, as, no doubt, did voter backlash against her relentlessly mean-spirited and unfair attacks against Armenian American candidate David Krikorian,” read the statement.

Schmidt reported she had repaid Turkish Coalition of America $42,812 in legal fees and expenses, but in fact, the TCA provided free legal services to Schmidt worth $651,244 in several cases from 2008 to 2011, the FEC said. Schmidt was represented by TCA’s legal arm, the Turkish American Legal Defense Fund.

“We are pleased that this matter was resolved in the manner that explains the mitigating circumstances and the ambiguous state of the law,” said David Saltzman, legal counsel for the Turkish Coalition of America. “Rather than litigate this matter, the Turkish Coalition of America agreed to settle on favorable terms and thereby keeps its focus on its programs that help foster understanding and cooperation across the globe.”

“With these actions, the FEC has finally delivered a small measure of justice,” said Krikorian in an emailed statement. “The Turkish Coalition of America should have its ‘charitable’ status revoked for its willful and egregious violations of campaign finance law.”

The Enquirer could not reach Schmidt for comment.

War to remove Syria’s Assad ‘illegal’: Keep Assad fight ISIS Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard

November 21, 2015 By administrator

A Democratic congresswoman calls on the United States to stop the “illegal, counterproductive war” to overthrow the Syrian government and focus instead on defeating the Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group.

Appearing on CNN on Friday, Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii said the campaign to remove Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is “illegal because Congress has not declared war. It has not authorized a war to overthrow the Syrian government of Assad.”

“I don’t think Assad should be removed,” she said, arguing that if the Syrian government is toppled, extremist groups like ISIL and al-Qaeda will take over Syria. “They will be even stronger.”

“It is counterproductive because it works to help our enemy achieve their objective to take over the Syrian government and take over all of Syria and beyond, and presents a greater humanitarian crisis and huge threat not only to the region but to the world,” Gabbard explained.

The United States has been backing what it calls moderate militants fighting against the Assad government. Senior US officials, including President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry, have repeatedly called for Assad’s removal.

Gabbard, an Iraq-war veteran, said the US seems to be repeating “the same mistakes of the past.”

“People said the very same thing about Saddam (Hussein), the very same thing about (Muammar) Gaddafi, the results of those two failed efforts of regime change and the following nation-building have been absolute, not only have they been failures, but they’ve actually worked to strengthen our enemy,” she stated.

“Look at the state of these countries today,” Gabbard added. “They have been overrun and are filled with chaos. And ISIS and extremist groups have only grown stronger in these countries and terrorizing the people there.”

Gabbard co-sponsored legislation on Thursday to block the US from waging a war to remove President Assad from power.

US State Department spokesman John Kirby said Thursday that Assad’s fate will be decided in international talks in the coming weeks.

“What I can tell you is that in the multilateral sessions, which will continue to occur going forward, the role of Assad in this transition will be spelled out,” Kirby told reporters.

US Congresswoman: Armenia may play vital role in U.S. foreign relations

July 17, 2015 By administrator

Armenia may play an important role both in U.S.-Russian and U.S.-Turkish relations, according to Congresswoman Jackie Kanchelian-Speier.

“The United States has a military base in Turkey and wants by no means to worsen relations with the country. By recognizing the Genocide, the U.S. will first of all follow its humanitarian principles. This is the only way to foster relations with Ankara,” Kanchelian-Speier said in an interview with the Armenian service of Voice of America.

She said the American-Armenian community has an important role in strengthening of relations between the two countries, and the huge community living outside Armenia is ready to support their motherland.

Kanchelian Speier said she feels deeply offended that her country has not recognized the Genocide yet. According to her, the United States should acknowledge the Genocide in order to remain true to the Armenian community’s and to its own values.

“My mother had Armenian origins. She used to tell me about the Genocide since my early childhood, and my ancestors’ memory has been haunting me all my life. Unfortunately, our country has not recognized the first genocide of the 20th century and achieving this goal is my duty to my mother,” the congresswoman said.

She also mentioned that Armenia has been receiving half as much humanitarian aid from the United States in the past five years, decreasing from $44 million to $20 million.

“I believe that the humanitarian aid allocated to Armenia is important. Armenia is in blockade. Understandingly, the country preserved good relations with Russia, but the United States should also strengthen relations with Armenia,” Kanchelian-Speier said.

44 out of 50 U.S. states have officially recognized the Armenian Genocide.