SCHMIDT GETS TAPED IN ELECTION SUIT

Cincinnati CityBeat
44-schmidt-gets-taped-in-election-suit.html
Aug 27 2009

Posted In: Congress, 2010 Election, Courts Posted By: Kevin Osborne

U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Miami Township) just doesn’t fare so well in
unscripted situations. In the latest example of that political truism,
Schmidt testified Monday for nearly five hours in a deposition taken
by attorneys for David Krikorian.

The deposition was taken in preparation for a Sept. 3 hearing before
the Ohio Elections Commission. Schmidt filed a complaint with the
commission alleging that Krikorian knowingly made a false statement
about Schmidt in a piece of campaign literature last year.

Krikorian ran as an independent against Schmidt in 2008 for Ohio’s 2nd
Congressional District. During the campaign, Krikorian distributed
a pamphlet alleging Schmidt had received "blood money" from the
Turkish government in return for her opposition to a congressional
resolution that declared Turkey committed genocide against Armenia
during a 1915 conflict.

Schmidt’s opposition angered Krikorian, who is of Armenian
descent. His grandparents almost became victims of the violence,
Krikorian said, and Schmidt’s denial that genocide occurred is an
insult to Armenian-American citizens. A Schmidt spokesman has said
in the past that the congresswoman doesn’t believe the conflict meets
the legal requirements to be dubbed genocide.

Krikorian has questioned why Schmidt accepts tens of thousands
of dollars in donations from Turkish interests when there isn’t
any significant number of Turkish-American residents in the 2nd
District. He’s also called Schmidt’s complaint "frivolous."

Monday’s deposition was videotaped by Krikorian’s attorneys, despite
Schmidt’s protest.

"Ms. Schmidt strongly objected to David Krikorian’s legal right
to video tape her deposition as allowed by law," a Krikorian press
release states. "Attorneys for Ms. Schmidt complained to the Ohio
Elections Commission to block distribution of the video portion of
her testimony. Ms. Schmidt does not want the people of the district
to view her testimony in this frivolous legal complaint she filed
against David Krikorian."

During her halting and vague testimony, Schmidt said she didn’t
know why she was the largest recipient of campaign contributions by
Turkish lobbyists in the 2008 campaign cycle. Also, she testified
that she didn’t know anything about the Armenian Genocide other than
it occurred during World War I.

Further, Schmidt said she didn’t know who Yalcin Ayasli is although
he and his family donated $6,900 to her campaign last year and was
an escort on her all-expenses paid trip to Turkey in May. Ayalsi is
a contributor to the Turkish Coalition of America, which is dubbed a
"genocide denial" group by Armenians.

For people who don’t want to watch the video, here’s a transcript of
the deposition’s best exchange. In her testimony, Schmidt said she
personally wrote an editorial that appeared in a Turkish newspaper
about the Armenian Genocide, but then cannot tell attorneys any
details about the historical event.

Q. Okay. I’m going to give you something that’s been marked as Exhibit
A. That is an article from a newspaper called The Daily — I’m sorry,
"Today’s Zaman." Do you know what that is? What is "Today’s Zaman"?

A. (Perusing document.)

Q. Do you know what Today’s Zaman is Mrs. Schmidt?

A. May I please have time to read this, sir.

Q. Oh, I’m sorry. Yes. Sure.

(EXHIBIT A MARKED FOR IDENTIFICATION)

A. (Perusing document.)

Q. Okay. Mrs. Schmidt, what is Today’s Zaman?

A. I believe it’s a periodical in Turkey.

Q. Okay. It’s a — it’s a newspaper in Turkey. That would be your
understanding?

A. Periodical, newspaper, something that is read by Turkey’s citizens.

Q. Okay. And on June the 4th of this year you – you were published
in Today’s Zaman in Turkey; is that correct?

A. Yes.

Q. You wrote an editorial?

A. Yes.

Q. And that was to coincide with President Obama’s visit to that
country; is that correct?

A. Well, it coincided with his visit, yes.

Q. That wasn’t the purpose of it to coincide?

A. No. It wasn’t the purpose but it did coincide.

Q. Did you write this editorial?

A. Yes.

Q. You did? These are your words?

A. Yes.

Q. Did anyone else help you to write it?

A. I had it edited by my chief of staff.

Q. And did any outside persons, such as Mr. Fein or anyone else,
help to write this?

A. No.

Q. You had it edited, but the original draft came off of your word
processor or pen; is that right?

A. Well, I don’t use a word processor.

Q. Okay. So the original draft was a handwritten version from you?

A. Actually, it was an oral version to my chief of staff.

Q. You dictated this to him?

A. The ideas of it, yes.

Q. Okay. And in this you talk about the Armenian Genocide Resolution,
right?

A. Where are you putting this in here so I know what you’re referring
to.

Q. Well, we could start with the bold headline that says: "US Congress
should not debate the Armenian genocide resolution."

A. Okay.

Q. Were those your words or was that something the daily Zaman added?

A. That I’m not sure of.

Q. Okay. Now, in the — in the very last paragraph of that it says,
"What happened in 1915 must never be forgotten." Do you see that?

A. Yes.

Q. What — what are you referring to that happened in 1915 that must
never be forgotten? –

A. Well, there obviously was an incident that happened in 1915.

Q. And what was that incident?

A. Well, there was something that went on in Turkey that involved
Turks and Armenians.

Q. Okay. And what is it that you remember about or that you know or
have an understanding of about those events?

A. Well, I don’t remember them because I wasn’t there.

Q. Right.

A. And I’m still trying to have a complete understanding of those
events.

Q. I understand that. But you told all the people of Turkey that we
shouldn’t forget these events. I’m asking you: What is it that we’re
supposed to remember?

A. Well we shouldn’t forget the past.

Q. And what is it about the events of 1915 that we’re supposed to
remember.

A. When I become a scholar of this, I’ll let you know.

Q. Okay. But when you wrote this on June the 4th of 2009, you had no
understanding at all of what happened in Turkey in 1915; is that right?

A. I said I had limited understanding.

Q. Okay. And I’ve asked you four times this morning to tell us what
that limited understanding is, and you’ve told me nothing.

Q. Events happened. And what were those events?

A. People got killed on both sides. How many people? I don’t know.

Q. And that’s your total sum and substance of your understanding of
that event?

A. That’s about the basic understanding, yes.