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Darling of Turkish Lobby Voted out of Congress
by Armenian Weekly
March 7, 2012
Krikorian's struggle against Schmidt's ethical violations contributes
to her defeat
CINCINATTI, Ohio - In a major upset, Brad Wenstrup, a doctor who has
never held political office, ousted seven-year incumbent Rep. Jean
Schmidt, in a nail-biter GOP primary contest for Ohio's second
congressional district, local papers reported last night.
Schmidt
Politico connected Schmidt's loss to her dealings with the Turkish
lobby: `Schmidt's loss followed a series of negative headlines
surrounding an investigation conducted by the Office of Congressional
Ethics, which examined whether she received free legal services from
the Turkish American Legal Defense Fund in her protracted courtroom
fight against her 2008 Democratic opponent, David Krikorian. Last May,
the OCE referred the case to the House ethics committee.'
The ANCA issued a statement 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.
In a statement released on Aug. 5, 2011, the House Ethics Committee
ruled that Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio) had received - and must pay back - a
total of $500,000 in multiple improper gifts from the Turkish
Coalition of America (TCA) between 2008 and 2010. Schmidt did not,
however, face sanctions by the House as she was able to pin the blame
for her behavior on her attorneys Bruce Fein and David Saltzman.
`The Ethics Committee proved that we were right all along: Rep.
Schmidt has received a half a million dollars in improper gifts from
the TCA,' said Krikorian after the ruling.
`As I've stated publicly before, I neither sought nor intended to
accept free legal services,' Schmidt said in a statement. `I have been
waiting for the Ethics Committee's advice as to the best way to pay
these bills. Now that I have that advice, I look forward to continuing
to work cooperatively with the Committee to ensure that these bills
are paid appropriately.'
Krikorian considered Schmidt's efforts to plead ignorance `laughable.'
`Personally I find it hard to believe that Jean Schmidt did not know
the facts regarding her own attorneys in legal actions which she
commenced in her own name - I find that to be laughable!' he said. `The
American people are tired of Congressmen and women who break the rules
and get away with it by blaming someone else. The people of Ohio's
second district deserve better than an ignorant Congresswoman,' he
added.
The people of Ohio's second district have now spoken.
From: Baghdasarian
by Armenian Weekly
March 7, 2012
Krikorian's struggle against Schmidt's ethical violations contributes
to her defeat
CINCINATTI, Ohio - In a major upset, Brad Wenstrup, a doctor who has
never held political office, ousted seven-year incumbent Rep. Jean
Schmidt, in a nail-biter GOP primary contest for Ohio's second
congressional district, local papers reported last night.
Schmidt
Politico connected Schmidt's loss to her dealings with the Turkish
lobby: `Schmidt's loss followed a series of negative headlines
surrounding an investigation conducted by the Office of Congressional
Ethics, which examined whether she received free legal services from
the Turkish American Legal Defense Fund in her protracted courtroom
fight against her 2008 Democratic opponent, David Krikorian. Last May,
the OCE referred the case to the House ethics committee.'
The ANCA issued a statement 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.
In a statement released on Aug. 5, 2011, the House Ethics Committee
ruled that Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio) had received - and must pay back - a
total of $500,000 in multiple improper gifts from the Turkish
Coalition of America (TCA) between 2008 and 2010. Schmidt did not,
however, face sanctions by the House as she was able to pin the blame
for her behavior on her attorneys Bruce Fein and David Saltzman.
`The Ethics Committee proved that we were right all along: Rep.
Schmidt has received a half a million dollars in improper gifts from
the TCA,' said Krikorian after the ruling.
`As I've stated publicly before, I neither sought nor intended to
accept free legal services,' Schmidt said in a statement. `I have been
waiting for the Ethics Committee's advice as to the best way to pay
these bills. Now that I have that advice, I look forward to continuing
to work cooperatively with the Committee to ensure that these bills
are paid appropriately.'
Krikorian considered Schmidt's efforts to plead ignorance `laughable.'
`Personally I find it hard to believe that Jean Schmidt did not know
the facts regarding her own attorneys in legal actions which she
commenced in her own name - I find that to be laughable!' he said. `The
American people are tired of Congressmen and women who break the rules
and get away with it by blaming someone else. The people of Ohio's
second district deserve better than an ignorant Congresswoman,' he
added.
The people of Ohio's second district have now spoken.
From: Baghdasarian