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Ohio elections spat involves Turkish history

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  • #31
    Re: Ohio elections spat involves Turkish history

    Ohio panel rules against congressional challenger





    By STEPHEN MAJORS, The Associated Press
    Updated 9:31 PM Thursday, October 1, 2009

    COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Armenian-American congressional challenger made false campaign statements with reckless disregard for the truth when he said an Ohio congresswoman took money from the Turkish government and Turkish government-sponsored interests, the Ohio Elections Commission found Thursday.

    U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, a Cincinnati-area Republican, brought the complaints against David Krikorian after he made the statements in the waning days of the 2008 campaign. Krikorian, who ran as an independent, said Schmidt was given roughly $30,000 from Turkish interests because of her denial that the mass killings of Armenians by the Turks in 1915 constituted genocide.

    The commission will issue a public reprimand of Krikorian for three violations, all variations of statements he made about Schmidt taking money either directly from the Turkish government or indirectly through what he called Turkish government-sponsored political action campaigns.

    It is illegal for elected officials or candidates to take money from foreign governments or individuals.

    "We are incredibly gratified that we won on all the major counts," said Schmidt Chief of Staff Barry Bennett. "We'll see if he learns his lesson."

    The commission ruled in Krikorian's favor on one of Schmidt's arguments, dismissing a complaint that his statement that Schmidt had taken money from Turkish individuals was a false statement. The commission felt that "individuals" could be interpreted to mean Americans of Turkish descent.

    Krikorian attempted to show that he had a "good faith" reason to believe that Schmidt was getting Turkish government money because registered lobbyists of the Turkish government were donating money to Turkish-American political action committees, who in turn gave to Schmidt's campaign.

    Neither side disputed that Schmidt received legal money from Turkish-American political action campaigns.

    Krikorian also attempted to show that he believed that the lobbyists of the Turkish government helped coordinate fundraising activities for Schmidt.

    The commission found that Krikorian should have known that he had no proof to make the claims.

    "A prudent person, given his cognitive ability, would have been a little hesitant in making those bold statements," said commission member Larry Wolpert.

    Krikorian's attorney, Mark Geragos, argued that the commission should come down on the side of protecting free speech.

    "For anyone to say that that is actual malice, that he didn't have a basis, makes a mockery of free speech," Geragos said. "This goes to the core of political speech."

    But Schmidt attorney Donald Brey said candidates can't say anything they want.

    "Freedom of speech is not a license to lie or defraud the voters, which is what he did," Brey said.

    Krikorian said he didn't yet know whether he would appeal the decision in common pleas court. He is running for the Democratic nomination to face Schmidt again in 2010.

    "The people of the district desperately need some leadership and this case has taken too much time," he said.

    Schmidt's position that she doesn't have enough information to proclaim the 1915 killings were genocide — which many history scholars believe it was — is also shared by the U.S. government. The U.S. foreign policy establishment's careful positioning on the issue is driven by the importance of maintaining productive relations with a moderate ally in the Middle East.

    Turkey denies that the deaths an estimated 1.5 million Armenians constituted genocide, contending the toll has been inflated and that the casualties were victims of civil war. It says Turks also suffered losses in the hands of Armenian gangs.

    "All truth passes through three stages:
    First, it is ridiculed;
    Second, it is violently opposed; and
    Third, it is accepted as self-evident."

    Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

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    • #32
      Re: Ohio elections spat involves Turkish history

      Filmmaker Peter Musurlian Confronts Genocide Deniers Steve Cohen (D-Memphis) & Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio)


      Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.


      ---

      Schmidt vs Krikorian: Mark Geragos shames Schmidt, one of "TURKEY'S TOOLS IN THE HEARTLAND."


      Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
      Last edited by Alexandros; 01-09-2010, 08:33 AM.

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      • #33
        Re: Ohio elections spat involves Turkish history




        Ethics Board Eyes Schmidt

        By Jennifer Yachnin

        Roll Call Staff

        Midnight

        The Office of Congressional Ethics is investigating Rep. Jean Schmidt’s receipt of legal assistance from a Turkish-American interest group that has represented her in a host of proceedings in Ohio, one of the Republican’s counsels confirmed Friday.

        Schmidt attorney Bruce Fein declined to answer questions about how he is paid, saying he is responding to a request from the OCE, the board that reviews potential rules violations and recommends investigations to the House Ethics Committee.

        “We’ll be making proper responses to an outstanding inquiry,” said Fein, an attorney with the Turkish American Legal Defense Fund and a resident scholar at the Turkish Coalition of America.

        Fein did not detail the inquiry, and the OCE does not comment publicly on its work or confirm whether it is reviewing specific matters.

        But Democrat David Krikorian, who has twice sought to challenge Schmidt for the 2nd district seat, has filed multiple complaints to the OCE, alleging that the Ohio lawmaker improperly received free legal services from the TCA and its legal defense fund in violation of House rules. It is not known whether the OCE investigation stems from Krikorian’s complaints.

        In a statement Monday, Schmidt spokesman Brian Pfaff acknowledged the Ohio lawmaker had not received a bill from TALDF for its work to date but said Schmidt had followed House rules.

        “We have been working with the Committee on Standards since the outset of this legal action to make sure we are acting in full compliance with House rules,” Pfaff said. The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct was renamed the Ethics Committee this year.

        Schmidt’s office dismissed similar allegations in July, when Krikorian filed his first complaint with the OCE. At that time, Schmidt’s office said the lawmaker had received written advice from the Ethics Committee on her legal arrangement, although the office declined to provide a copy of the letter.

        Schmidt also asked the Ethics Committee in July for permission to establish a legal expense fund, which would allow her to receive donations to pay her legal bills.

        But public records maintained by the Clerk of the House showed no indication that such an account exists, and Pfaff said last week that it has yet to be approved by the Ethics Committee.

        “The committee is aware that the Congresswoman is represented by TALDF and that we will not be billed until a legal expense trust is formally approved and established. At that time, we will receive a bill for all appropriate legal fees and services connected with these cases,” Pfaff said Monday. “As I’m sure you are aware, the Committee does not typically explain its process. We have been assured that we have answered all of the committee’s questions and provided all necessary information and await approval of the trust.”

        Schmidt and Krikorian have tangled repeatedly since the 2008 election cycle, challenging each other before the Ohio Elections Commission, the Ohio courts and U.S. district court.

        In the only pending case, Schmidt filed a defamation suit in the Clermont County Common Pleas Court in June against Krikorian, seeking $6.8 million in damages. Krikorian, an Armenian-American has accused Schmidt of accepting funds from Turkish political interests. In October 2009, the Ohio Elections Commission ruled that Krikorian made false statements when he circulated a flier in 2008 containing similar accusations.

        In his second complaint to the OCE, filed in late January, Krikorian highlights a series of documents generated in that Clermont County case.

        In particular, Krikorian points to a document related to a request from Schmidt’s legal team to allow Fein to appear in the Ohio court that acknowledges Fein is not paid by Schmidt or her campaign.

        “As defendants acknowledge, Mr. Fein has testified under oath that he never provided free legal services to plaintiff,” Schmidt’s Ohio-based attorney Donald Brey wrote. “The Turkish Coalition of America ... has consistently funded Fein’s representation of Jean Schmidt as senior counsel at the Turkish American Legal Defense Fund ... for the duration of her several legal actions against Defendant Krikorian.”

        When asked about the accuracy of that statement Friday, Fein declined to respond, citing the OCE’s request. Fein was also a former counsel to Congress in the Iran-Contra probe and a deputy attorney general under the Reagan administration.

        Pfaff did not indicate Monday whether Schmidt or her office had been contacted by the OCE, but he said in a statement: “Congresswoman Schmidt would welcome any action by the Office of Congressional Ethics or the House [Ethics Committee] that would once and for all confirm that she has complied with House ethics rules.”

        Krikorian said Monday that he had not been contacted by the OCE, other than a letter confirming the receipt of his complaint in early February.

        “We just want to know what were the bills and who paid them?” said Krikorian, who ran as an Independent 2008 and lost the 2010 Democratic primary in his second attempt to challenge Schmidt.

        According to the House Ethics Manual, a Member may accept pro bono legal services under certain circumstances, such as the filing of friend-of-the-court briefs or civil actions challenging the validity of a federal law or regulation.

        Members are also allowed to establish legal defense funds, with the permission of the Ethics Committee, for cases related to the Member’s official duties, as well as criminal prosecutions or “a civil matter bearing on the individual‘s reputation or fitness for office,” the manual states.

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