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.
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.
Turkish Mouthpiece or Turkish Suppository?
LOL!!! Excellent.
Turkish foot and mouth disease. Her face is a waste of molecules. Does she need a license to be that ugly?
I hope that we had something to do with her defeat. Next, we need to organize and create an “impeachment list” of corrupt, unethical and treasonous politicians.
We need TCA’s records of who else they bribed so they can be “outed” just in time for US November elections. She took the cash and lost her reputation and prestige. I guess no one told her; you can’t make a deal with the Devil.
The head of the gooble,gooble group in Cincinnati is a doctor ? I would like to find out whom,so to notify my friends of the quack. Lets see gooble,and quackie,a fimiliar ring.I knew both David Krikorian,and Brad Wenstrup,both very honorable guys.The biggest blessing is to get fra schmidt out of there. A oooooooooooooobig zero,with a for sale sign on her back.She should be investigated.
OK, somebody gives you half a million dollars, pounds, euros etc and you have no idea where it comes from or what it’s for? Yeah, right !!!
Keep the good work going, who’s next on the list?
I feel bad for Armenians. You live in the past, everything is about hatred, and such a pathetic group of people that your front page is all about other countries. How about making where you live better instead of trying to hurt others? I am sad that many Armenians died, of course, but you blame everything on the past instead of moving forward.
Dear Jeremy
Have the Jewish people moved on from their pains?? Of course not. They are about to begin landmark legal cases against German insurance companies. The crimes of the turks are so horrendous that along with the holocaust we cannot simply move on, we can only move on once the turks have apologized and compensated us, returned our Western Armenia for our losses and pain, much like Germany still paying the victims of the Nazi horrors. At least we dont commecialise our pain and suffering and hold the world ransome.
It took the Jewish people 2000 years to reclaim Israel, did they move on from their pain and suffering? No they planned and excuted a plan that spanned centuries, much like what we are doing now.
I hope you get the point Jeremy, there is no place in the world for people that support the denialist acmpaigns of the first Genocide of 20th Century as stated by almost all Scholars of Genocide studies.
Jeremy aka Hassan,
You’re right, we should emulate Turks. Especially the million or so who showed up at Taksim the other day screaming for blood. I feel bad for Armenians too.
I am an American first,served my country in WW2 —I have never had the priviledge of knowing my grand parents,half of my relatives.When you can say that,then give me some advise,otherwise stop talking out of your rearend, and shut-up.
please don’t feel bad bad for Armenians, they have been around for countless centuries to witness big powers like yours come and go and vanish into the pages of history, even us to be considered the worst nation in the whole world atleast we still have traces of human ethics and genuine love for human kind, and we don’t sell anything and value for hard money like you do, so please save your condolesence for yourself and feel bad for yourself Americans and your blick and moot future ahead ,and think of how you have been turning into from nation of humane and Godloving Franklinians to Frankesteinian moneylovers and warmongers!
obviously you don’t know how genocide effects people’s minds..even though jews were compensated and the whole world recognized the holocaust every day of the year we are still bombarded with the holocaust stories and persecutions of german officers who commited the crime ( Jewish people need to get over it..).Us the Armenians are still waiting for justice..if someone murders your relatives I bet you will never forgive or forget…only someone who hasn’t lost anything will think the way you are thinking….
Let us substitute Armenians for Jews:
I feel bad for Jews. You live in the past; everything is about hatred, and such a pathetic group of people that your front page is all about other countries. How about making where you live better instead of trying to hurt others? I am sad that many Jews died, of course, but you blame everything on the past instead of moving forward.
Now, you make a statement like that then you are an anti-Semite, be sure somebody will knock at your door soon.
Say Jeremy boy, so you live in the present. Is that why your government still grabbing land from Palestinians? Is that why you are still fighting over piece of land claiming to be historical/biblical land belonging to the Jews. I thought you live in the present.
Mr. Myers , Will you say the same for the jews as well !!!
start here:
http://www.gulenpoliticians.blogspot.com
“REAL CHANGE” is needed @ home,(Voting for Mitt Romney, for instance) not just campagn gimmics throughout 2008, where slogans haven’t met deeds in the White House till 2012! Can someone tell me, where the Obameter stands nowadays, and how many promises were there kept???
Hrant K.
Mitt Romney? The guy has no idea what he believes in.
Only in USA can a sitting politician get away with not knowing who is paying her $500K legal bills in a court case initiated by her.
God love USA and all her flaws.
Well she is gone now, and the turks must now corrupt another one in her place.
very true Stepan
Bye, bye s–t bird. Didn’t she get the presidency of the Wilson center? We need to make per position there very uncomfortable.
Look at her eyes and you will know who she really is. Tuu to you Jean.
I will show no animosity,toward fra schmidt,since she lost to a worthy opponent.She will get welfare payments from her job,rest of her life.Since she has no way of supplementing her income from the gooble goobles payoffs.I will highly recommend her for janitorial job,I am afraid she may not pass the mental test,but in turkey the standards are not as strict,and she can feel at home.
Hassan the Turk is pretending to be Jeremy Myers (a jew) and is trying to inflame tensions between Armenians and progressive Jews. The right wing Jewish extremists will never be on our side but it is good to have progressive Jews as our friends because they understand how ugly it is for the Jewish right wingers to deny the Armenian Genocide while attacking holocaust deniers .The holocaust deniers and the right wing Jews are committing the same crime. Bernard Lewis is the Jewish David Irving because he is the nastiest of the Genocide deniers and he along with Brzezinski pressured Carter and then Reagan to support the Mujaheddin which later became the Taliban and has created this huge mess for the US in Afghanistan.
So very TRUE. Well said!
What about Jews like Tom Lantos who killed every genocide resolution in Congress in a state like California (yes, the same California where Armenians vastly outnumber the Turkish population). He was a well respected congressperson and well liked and also was fiscally responsable. Or what about Robert Wexler, another smart Jew who was not corrupt. Or other Jews like Ros-Lehtinen. Those are smart Jews who do not want to morally pimpslap a USA ally, who bravely and heroically defended the USA troops in the Korean War, as well as in WW2 and other time. What about how there are people who don’t want to morally pimpslap an ally who is becoming an economicalically, militarily, and politically strong, dynamic nation (which is kind of like the Middle Eastern Version of China or Brazil). Because they are smart and do not cave into the relentless pressure of these special interest groups, who even though are superpowerful and funnel billion dollars. These special interest groups want to manipulate the great nation of America and drag them into endless proxy war. Why is it that the most pro-Armenian president (Ronald Reagan) the biggest warmongering Neocon sack of s****t on the planet and created a McCarthy style era during his rule though.
Past time displaying her statesman status.She is a old politician,with advanced facial acromegly,caught lying,accepting bribes,poor performance,LET US FORGET THE OLD _______.