Patrick’s $ man irks Armenians
By Kevin Rothstein
Boston Herald
Wednesday, April 19, 2006 – Updated: 06:14 AM EST
A Washington lobbyist who works with a firm that is pushing the Turkish
government’s contention that the Armenian genocide never occurred
co-hosted a fund-raiser for gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick
last night, angering members of the Massachusetts Armenian-American
community.
The Democratic gubernatorial candidate’s link to the Livingston Group
raised red flags with Armenians, who despise the Turkish effort to
erase the heartbreaking chapter in their history.
Experts estimate 1.5 million Armenians were killed between 1915 and
the 1923.
“It upsets us,” said Stephen Dulgarian of Chelmsford, whose mother
survived the genocide but lost two children; one to a Turkish bayonet
and one to starvation. “He probably doesn’t know anything about the
Armenian genocide.”
Massachusetts has a large Armenian community, centered largely in
suburbs west of Boston.
Lobbyist Bernie Robinson, one of 39 Beltway bigs who hosted last
night’s fund-raiser, is a consultant to the Livingston Group, according
to the company Web site. He is a former chief of staff for Patrick
supporter U.S. Rep. James McGovern (D-Worcester) and a former Phillip
Morris executive.
Patrick spokeswoman Libby DeVecchi said Patrick was “comfortable” with
Robinson’s role, saying he was only an independent contractor working
“under the umbrella” of the Livingston Group. “He does not, nor has
he ever, worked with the government of Turkey,” she said. “Deval does
acknowledge the Armenian genocide and he’s saddened by the event.”
Robinson, who donated $1,000 to Patrick over the past two years,
did not return a phone call.
The Turkish government has paid the Livingston Group more than $9
million to represent it. Key issues include battling a congressional
amendment recognizing the Armenian genocide and helping steer $1
billion in U.S. aid to Turkey, even though American troops are barred
from using Turkish soil as a staging area for Iraq, the watchdog
group Public Citizen says.
“We’re concerned,” said Aram Hamparian, executive director of the
lobbying group Armenian National Committee of America. “This would be
a great opportunity for Patrick to be very clear with our community
with what he thinks about and where he stands on Livingston’s efforts
to defeat recognition of the Armenian genocide.”
The bill, which would call on Turkey to recognize the slaughter as
a genocide, passed a House committee and is awaiting a full vote on
the House floor.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
