ELECTIONS PANEL HEARS SCHMIDT COMPLAINT
Stephen Major

The Associated Press
Sept 9 2009

COLUMBUS – The Turkish government covertly funneled campaign money
to an Ohio congresswoman in return for her denials that the mass
killings of Armenians during World War I constituted genocide, an
Armenian American and his high-powered attorney argued at a state
hearing Thursday, Sept. 3.

U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, a Republican, wants the Ohio Elections
Commission to find that David Krikorian violated election law when
he said in campaign materials during the 2008 campaign that she had
accepted "blood money" from the Turkish government in return for her
genocide denial.

After roughly seven hours of testimony Thursday, the commission ran
out of time and will resume the hearing in October.

The commission has the power to fine Krikorian, but the case could
end up in the formal court system.

Commission members repeatedly asked Krikorian’s attorneys to show
proof that Turkish interests had given $30,000 in campaign money to
Schmidt through legal campaign committees and lobbyists. It’s illegal
for foreign governments to contribute to U.S. politicians.

Los Angeles attorney Mark Geragos, whose past clients include the
late pop star Michael Jackson and actress Winona Ryder, took up the
case at Krikorian’s invitation. Geragos is also an Armenian-American.

The commission is first trying to establish whether it can be proved
that the Turkish government, or government-sponsored political action
committees, gave money to Schmidt. If the commission decides there is
no proof, it must then determine whether Krikorian made the statements
in a reckless disregard of the truth.

Schmidt and Krikorian, who plans to challenge her again in 2010,
were both questioned during Thursday’s proceedings. Schmidt said she
has not accepted money from the Turkish government, while Krikorian,
based on his own research and other publications, said he believed
Schmidt was taking Turkish government money through back channels in
return for her genocide denials.

"These statements are all false," said Schmidt attorney Donald
Brey. "She never took money from Turkish government-sponsored political
action committees."

Krikorian believes his assertions are protected political speech,
while Schmidt said he made a false campaign statement.

"I felt that these contributions were sponsored by the Turkish
government," Krikorian said. "I think it’s freedom of speech."

Geragos said he thought Krikorian had already proven that Schmidt had
received money from Turkish interests, but that at the next hearing
he would present evidence of a direct link.

Krikorian said Turkish interests, which he said are trying to fend
off a congressional resolution declaring the killings of Armenians
in 1915 as genocide, were trying to reward Schmidt for her public
position that she does not have enough information to make a decision.

Schmidt’s unwillingness to proclaim what many history scholars regard
as fact 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.

A portion of Congresswoman Jean Schmidt’s video deposition was
released to the media outlets on Thursday, Aug. 27. Schmidt was
deposed concerning her complaint with the Ohio Election Commission.

Here is part of that deposition:

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.

The News Democrat contributed to this story.