1 - Commentary
Newly Elected House Democratic Majority
Will Paralyze Trump’s Presidential Powers
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- US Midterms: Many Armenian Americans Win Local, State,
Federal Positions
3- Amid threats, LGBT forum is canceled in Armenia
4 - In Canada, Holy Trinity Church Vows to Purchase Manoogian Center
Amid Dispute with AGBU
5 - Reddit’s Alexis Ohanian Launches Armenian Brandy
6- Boston Armenian Progressive Group in Solidarity with
Pittsburgh Synagogue
By Leeza Arakelian and Karine Vann
7- Trump Appoints John B. Nalbandian to Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
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1 - Commentary
Newly Elected House Democratic Majority
Will Paralyze Trump’s Presidential Powers
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
The midterm elections held on November 6, 2018, will significantly
restrain Pres. Trump’s rule of the United States as a dictatorship.
In the first two years of his presidency, Trump often abused his
powers by signing Executive Orders and by controlling both the
Executive and Legislative branches of the U.S. government through the
Republican majorities in both the House and Senate. During this
period, Pres. Trump made many outrageous statements and acted as he
pleased disregarding any politically, legally and morally correct
behavior.
However, the President’s free ride has come to an end. With the new
Democratic majority in the House of Representatives, Pres. Trump will
no longer be able to do as he pleases. He will be unable to propose
any bills without the consent of the House Democrats who will
investigate the illegal actions of the President and his cabinet
members, as well as protecting the Special Prosecutor’s Russia
collusion probe in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections. The new
Democratic majority in the House will be able to subpoena Pres.
Trump’s campaign associates which the previous Republican majority had
blocked, and will also demand the release of the President’s tax
returns which he has adamantly refused to disclose, hiding his
business dealings in foreign countries.
This new state of affairs will have two concrete consequences. The
U.S. government will be in gridlock for the next two years. Hardly any
new bills initiated by Pres. Trump will be approved by the House.
Secondly, frustrated by the House blocking his actions, Pres. Trump
will lash out at the Democrats even more harshly than before. The
President has already declared that if the Democrats investigate him,
he will investigate them in return. This means that Pres. Trump’s
anger and hostility will rise to new heights, leading him to send more
insulting tweets and deliver more outrageous speeches at his political
rallies.
During the next two years, Pres. Trump will be so busy attacking his
political rivals that he will be unable to pay full attention to
domestic and foreign policies which will hopefully limit his mischief
in the United States and around the world.
Armenian-American Candidates in the Midterm Elections
On the positive side, at least eight Armenian-Americans won local,
state and federal political seats during the Nov. 6, 2018 midterm
elections.
Armenian-American Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) won reelection to the House
along with Jackie Kanchelian Speier, another Democrat from California.
Armenian-American Anthony Brindisi (D-N.Y.) is 1,293 votes ahead of
the incumbent Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney as of election
night, pending thousands of votes yet to be counted. If Brindisi wins,
he will be the third Armenian-American serving in the U.S. House of
Representatives.
In the history of the United States, there have been only seven
Armenian-Americans elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. They
are: Thomas Corwin (1831-1840; 1859-1861), Republican from Ohio;
Steven Derounian (1953-1965), Republican from New York; Adam Benjamin
(1977-1982), Democrat from Indiana; Charles Pashayan (1979-1991),
Republican from California; Anna Eshoo (1993-pres.), Democrat from
California; John Sweeney (1999-2007), Republican from New York; Jackie
Speier (2008-pres.), Democrat from California.
Incredibly, Thomas Corwin, of Armenian and Hungarian descent, was a
highly-accomplished politician and diplomat. He is the only
Armenian-American who became a U.S. Senator (1845-1850), a Republican
from Ohio. Besides his service in the House and the Senate, Corwin was
the Governor of Ohio (1840-1842), and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
(1850-1853). In addition, he served as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico
(1861-1864).
Danny Tarkanian, Republican congressional candidate from Nevada, lost
his election bid on Nov. 6, running against Democrat Susie Lee.
Tarkanian trailed with 43.4 percent of the vote to Lee’s 51.4 percent.
Johnny Nalbandian, Republican congressional candidate from the
Glendale, Calif., area, lost his election bid to incumbent Democrat
Cong. Adam Schiff. Nalbandian had 23.5 percent of the vote to Schiff’s
76 percent.
Democrat Adrin Nazarian from the San Fernando Valley region of Los
Angeles won reelection against Republican challenger Roxanne Hoge for
the California State Assembly. Nazarian won 77.9 percent of the vote
to Hoge’s 22.1 percent.
Elizabeth Warren (not to be confused with U.S. Senator Elizabeth
Warren), granddaughter of Armenian Genocide survivors, lost her
election for the California State Assembly to fellow Democrat Tasha
Boerner Horvath.
Republican Rita Topalian lost her race for the State Senate against
Democrat Bob Archeleta, who won by 65 percent of the vote.
Outside of California, Mari Manoogian, 26, Democratic candidate for
Michigan State House, defeated her opponent former Michigan GOP chair
David Wolkinson, with 57 percent of the vote vs. Wolkinson’s 43
percent. Manoogian was endorsed by Pres. Barack Obama, Sen. Gary
Peters, and Governor-Elect Gretchen Whitmer.
Another Armenian-American candidate, Sara Gideon, a Democratic member
of the Maine House of Representatives, was reelected.
Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte was re-elected to Ward Three on
Westbrook, Maine’s City Council. Turcotte, a refugee from Baku,
Azerbaijan, is a strong advocate for Artsakh’s independence.
Finally, Lorig Charkhoudian, a Democratic candidate for Maryland’s
House of Delegates, was elected to become the first Armenian-American
to serve in the Maryland State legislature.
Most Armenian-Americans, who ran for political office on Nov. 6, won.
The same is true for many non-Armenian supporters of the
Armenian-American community. The Armenian National Committee of
America reported that 92% of the congressional candidates it endorsed
won their seats. This is great news.
On the other hand, Armenian-Americans are pleased that Cong. Pete
Sessions (R-Tex.), co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Turkey,
lost his reelection bid, despite contributions to him by pro-Turkey
donors.
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2- US Midterms: Many Armenian Americans Win Local, State,
Federal Positions
(The California Courier)—U.S. Midterm elections took place on Tuesday,
November 6, with a number of Armenian-American candidates vying for
local, state and federal positions.
In the U.S. House of Representatives, Armenian American Democrat Anna
Eshoo, who represents California’s 18th District, and Democrat Jackie
Kanchelian Speier, who represents California’s 14th Congressional
District were both re-elected. Both are members of the Congressional
Armenian Caucus, of which Speier is presently a co-chair.
In California’s 28th Congressional District, Republican Johnny
Nalbandian was defeated by incumbent Democrat Adam Schiff; with all
precincts reporting November 6, Schiff had 76 percent of the vote, to
Nalbandian’s 23.5 percent. The district covers much of Burbank,
Hollywood, West Hollywood and Silver Lake. Schiff has been a longtime
champion of Armenian-American issues, and is presently a co-vice chair
of the Congressional Armenian Caucus.
In Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District, Armenian American Republican
Danny Tarkanian ran a spirited campaign but lost to Democrat Susie
Lee. Tarkanian trailed with 43.4 percent of the vote to Lee’s 51.4
percent, and conceded the race on Wednesday, November 7.
The New York 22nd Congressional District race between
Armenian-American Democrat Anthony Brindisi and Republican Claudia
Tenney, had yet to be decided as of November 12 at which time Brindisi
led Tunney by 1,293 votes. On election night, Brindisi gave a victory
speech, but Tunney has not yet conceded as more than 16,000 absentee
ballots need to be counted, along with provisional and military
ballots.
In the central portion of the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles,
Democrat Adrin Nazarian—who heads the Armenian Legislative Issues
Caucus—held on against Republican challenger Roxanne Hoge for Assembly
District 46, which encompasses areas including North Hills, Panorama
City, Van Nuys and North Hollywood. Nazarian was up 77.9 percent to
Hoge’s 22.1 percent.
In the California State Senate—covering cities including Whittier,
Cerritos, Downey, Norwalk and Hacienda Heights—Republican challenger
Rita Topalian lost to Democrat Bob Archuleta, former mayor of Pico
Rivera, who won the election by 65 percent.
Mari Manoogian, Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 40th State House
district, defeated her opponent former Michigan GOP vice chair David
Wolkinson 57 percent to 43 percent in the midterm elections.
Manoogian, who was born and raised in Birmingham, Michigan, received
an array of endorsements from federal, state and local leaders
including President Barack Obama, Senator Gary Peters and
Governor-Elect Gretchen Whitmer, also received multiple endorsements
from local media, union and civic organizations.
Armenian-American candidate Sara Gideon, a Democratic member of the
Maine House of Representatives, won the seat representing the 48th
District. First elected in 2012, Gideon was reelected in 2014 and
chosen as Assistant Majority Leader of the Maine House of
Representatives. Gideon served as the speaker of the House; she served
as assistant majority leader from 2014 to 2016. Gideon was born in
Rhode Island. Her father immigrated to America from India and worked
as a pediatrician. She is married and has three children.
California State Assembly Candidate Elizabeth Warren (not to be
confused with United States Senator Elizabeth Warren) the
granddaughter of Armenian genocide survivors who was running for
California’s 76th District—which includes the Marine Base at Camp
Pendleton, and the cities of Carlsbad, Vista, Encinitas and
Oceanside—was defeated by fellow Democrat opponent Tasha Boerner
Horvath. Where Boerner Horvath’s message pulled more toward the
center, Warren ran a more activist campaign, focusing on issues such
as Medicare for all and free education.
Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte was re-elected to serve Ward Three on
Westbrook, Maine’s City Council in midterm elections. Turcotte first
ran and won the seat in 2015 and was at that time the youngest and
only female city council representative on the Westbrook City Council.
Turcotte, a refugee from Baku, Azerbaijan, is an Armenian-American
author, activist, attorney and lecturer who is also a staunch advocate
for increased U.S. aid for Artsakh, the right to self-determination
for Artsakh and other Armenian issues including recognition of the
Armenian Genocide.
Lorig Charkoudian, the Democratic candidate for Maryland’s House of
Delegates was elected to serve as one of the three delegates for
District 20, becoming the first Armenian-American in recent memory
(and, perhaps ever) to serve in the Maryland state legislature.
Charkoudian, originally from Newton, Mass., has been in public service
for more than two decades.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) issued its
endorsements in advance of the midterm elections, which included
Eshoo, Speier, Schiff, Tarkanian, Brindisi, Nazarian, Manoogian,
Gideon, Warren, Turcotte and Charkoudian.
In California, the ANCA endorsed California Democrat Gavin Newsom who
was elected as governor; Democrat Eleni Kounalakis elected as Lt.
Governor; Democrat Alex Padilla as Secretary of State; Democrat Betty
Yee as State Controller; Democrat Fiona Ma as State Treasurer; and
Democrat Ricardo Lara as Insurance Commissioner.
According to early election results, over 165 ANCA-endorsed
candidates—roughly 92 percent of the 180 formally backed by the
pro-Armenian advocacy organization—won election to the U.S. Senate and
House.
The ANCA endorsed congressional candidates including Judy Chu
(D-Calif.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Grace
Napolitano (D-Calif.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Devin Nunes (R-Calif.),
Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), and David Valadao
(R-Calif.), who won re-election to their respective districts.
Five Congressional Armenian Caucus leaders, including co-chair Frank
Pallone (D-N.J.), and David Valadao (R-Calif.), and co-vice chair Gus
Bilirakis (R-Fla.) were re-elected.
Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a leading Senate champion of Armenian
American priorities was re-elected, and will return to the Senate as
the Ranking Democrat on the influential Foreign Relations Committee.
In the California state legislature, Republican Andreas Borgeas was
elected to the California State Senate to represent District 8 in
Central California.
In the California State Assembly, Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Calif.) of
the 63rd District was reelected as well as Majority Floor Leader Ian
Calderon (D-Calif.). Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Calif.)
representing the largest Armenian-American constituency in California
was re-elected. Assemblymembers Evan Low (D-Calif.) and Autumn Burke
(D-Calif.), were re-elected. Other close friends of the community,
including Chris Holden (D-Calif.), Jesse Gabriel (D-Calif.), and Luz
Rivas (D-Calif.), also won re-election.
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3 - Amid threats, LGBT forum is canceled in Armenia
By Grigor Atanesian
(EurasiaNet)—The organizers of a Christian LGBT forum in Armenia have
canceled the event after it became a political football ahead of next
month’s elections.
In a statement issued November 6, New Generation, a Yerevan-based NGO
that was helping to organize the conference, cited “constant threats”
and “organized intimidation.” They also said that the Armenian police
had shown a “lack of sufficient readiness” to protect them.
“I don’t consider it appropriate to hold the forum in Armenia,
considering the risks and security considerations,” Armenia’s police
chief Valeriy Osipyan told journalists the same day. “We advised that
the forum should not be held in Armenia.”
Pashinyan’s government “fails to protect the rights of its citizens,”
wrote Mika Artyan, an Armenian LGBT activist, on Twitter. “Basically
they failed to carry on their duties when it comes to rights of #LGBT
citizens. Unacceptable.”
The conference was announced in August, and organizers said it had
been planned long before the government transition in the spring that
brought to power Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Having previously held thirteen similar events across the region,
organizers said they expected little trouble. A Gospel verse was
chosen as the event’s theme. “The spirit of our Forum is love in
Christ which knows no boundaries, be it country, denomination, gender
or anything else,” said the announcement.
But over the following months, the event became a subject of heated
discussions around Armenia and, eventually, even on the floor of
parliament. It was condemned by the Armenian Church and occasioned
handwringing about the destiny of Armenia’s traditional family.
It was the potential for violence, however, that forced the organizers
to cancel the event. In correspondence obtained by Eurasianet,
Yerevan-based LGBT activists helping put on the event reported violent
threats and said their cars were followed. The activists said that
after reporting threats to the authorities, the police appeared
willing to guarantee the event’s safety. But the organizers said that
while officers were largely helpful, they privately suggested
postponing the event “for after the election” and couldn’t provide the
activists the protection they sought.
Parliamentary elections are to be held on December 9. With Pashinyan
enjoying sky high approval ratings, his allies are expected to win
easily, cementing the political transition that began in the spring.
In response, forces aligned with the former government appear to have
seized on LGBT issues as a cudgel against the new regime. “It’s hard
to avoid the impression that some officials are using Armenia’s
pervasive homophobia to mobilize the public against … Pashinyan,”
wrote Anahit Chilingaryan of Human Rights Watch.
With so much at stake in the December vote, Pashinyan has appeared
wary of taking a strong position. When he was grilled in parliament on
the issue, including on the forum, he dexterously avoided giving a
definitive answer. “For me as prime minister and for our government,
the less this issue comes up, the better,” said Pashinyan. “It’s a
headache.”
Still, Pashinyan’s evasive answer didn’t mollify critics.
A column from the local service of the Russian state news service
Sputnik called out the government for “recusing itself” from dealing
with what the article claims is the issue that “the Christian religion
considers to be one of the gravest sins.” The column endorsed a bill,
introduced by the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia, to ban
“homosexual propaganda.”
On November 1, the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, the top
figure in the Armenian church, condemned the plans to hold the
conference, calling same-sex relations “a sin.”
This article appeared in EurasiaNet on November 6, 2018.
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4 - In Canada, Holy Trinity Church Vows to Purchase Manoogian Center
Amid Dispute with AGBU
TORONTO—On Sunday, November 11, a special membership meeting of Holy
Trinity Armenian Church in Toronto was convened under the presidency
of His Grace Bishop Abgar Hovakimyan, Primate. The meeting was
convened after the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) Central
Board issued an October 30 communique informing that the organization
had entered into an agreement of purchase and sale of the AGBU Alex
Manoogian Center adjacent to the church, to Centennial College.
Present at the meeting were Rev. Archpriest Fr. Zareh Zargarian, Vicar
of the Armenian Church Diocese of Canada and Parish Priest of the Holy
Trinity Armenian Church; Ohan Ohanessian, Chairman of the Diocesan
Council; Rosine Imasdounian, Chairperson of Holy Trinity Armenian
Church Parish Council; dues-paying members; representatives of
Armenian sister churches and organizations; and a large number of
community members and youth.
Ohan Ohanessian gave a brief description of the highlights of the
purchase and the sale agreement between the AGBU and Centennial
College, noting the required sale price of $8.5 million dollars, the
down payment amount, also as per agreement Holy Trinity Armenian
Church’s right of first refusal till January 2019 and the final
purchase deadline of January 29, 2019.
A video presentation of the existing Church and the AGBU properties
was displayed for the interest of the community.
The resolution prepared by the Parish Council of the Holy Trinity
Armenian Church in English and Armenian was read by Ohanessian and
Imasdounian respectively.
The Parish Council resolved to “explore all possible avenues to best
safeguard the interests of the Church, including the preparation of a
feasibility study, approaching financial institutions and getting
commitments from major donors to kick start a community wide fund
raising drive to secure the necessary funds, and exercise, by January
2019, its first right of refusal to purchase the property by January
29, 2019.”
By way of secret balloting, 130 dues-paying members (out of 400
community members attending the meeting) voted on the proposed
resolution. The outcome of the voting confirmed 122 yes votes, 5 no
votes, and 3 abstentions.
Fr. Zareh Zargarian expressed his appreciation to all representatives
of Armenian Churches and organizations who expressed their support. He
encouraged the community to stand in solidarity at this critical time
in history of our community.
His Grace Bishop Hovakimyan expressed his thanks to the Armenian
community for the display of unity and support and readiness to assist
in bringing a resolution to current situation. Furthermore, Bishop
Hovakimyan in support of fundraising made an impressive gesture by
donating his Panagia and Crosier as the first donation to the
fundraising drive.
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5- Reddit’s Alexis Ohanian Launches Armenian Brandy
What do you do after you make millions in tech, receives accolades as
a model husband for one of the world’s top athletes, and father an
adorable child? For Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, the answer was
to get into spirits. On Monday (111.12), Ohanian unveiled Shakmat, an
Armenian brandy that he created in collaboration with Flaviar, a
direct-to-consumer spirits club.
The Brooklyn-born Ohanian is the great-grandson of refugees from the
Armenian Genocide in the early twentieth century. While visiting his
ancestral home in 2010, he discovered the joys of the local
distillate.
Fun Fact: Armenian brandy is locally called ‘Konyak.’ (Likely, this
name upsets many French people.) “Armenian brandy is something
Armenians are really proud of, but outside of Armenia and the Armenian
community, no one really knows it, which is a real shame—it’s
legendary,” he said in a statement.
Shakmat is a blended, 23-year-old XO brandy, clocking in at 40% ABV.
The spirit is grape based and utilizes a double distillation process
involving both a continuous column still and French alembic stills.
The official tasting notes tout Shakmat’s “flavors of dried fruits,
nuts and spices, think plums, raisins, walnuts and cloves, as well as
rich molasses, tobacco and vanilla notes which are typical of a
traditional Armenian Konyak.”
Keeping it local, a portion of the proceeds will help fund the
non-profit Armenia Tree Project. As the name suggests, the Tree
Project helps reforestation efforts in Armenia. In a final Armenian
touch, Shakmat is an homage to the country’s national game: chess.
(Shakmat is a colloquial Armenian term for chess.)
“Chess is a big deal in Armenia—it’s a compulsory part of the school
curriculum,” Ohanian explained. “To be a great chess player, you need
smart moves in the right moment, patience, knowledge, and
resourcefulness. These are values that resonated with me, especially
as an entrepreneur who looks for these qualities when I’m meeting with
founders and determining if we at Initialized Capital should invest in
their new venture.”
Ohanian’s partner Flaviar is a spirits club that fuses mail-order
sales, curation, and education. The company also began branching out
into private bottling recently. (If you are confused, the combined
club and mail model exempt Flaviar from “three tier” regulations.)
“Everyone is talking about direct to consumer now, but the Flaviar
team has been doing it for years, building a real community of
consumers who are passionate about discovering new spirits,” said
Ohanian in a statement. “After seeing the launch of Flaviar’s first
private label Son of a Peat, I chatted to Jugo & Grisa, the founders
of Flaviar, about creating my own spirit.”
The initial run is only 2,400 bottles. For Flaviar members, the price
tag is $95; everyone else can buy a bottle on the web for $110.
This article appeared in Neat Pour on .
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6- Boston Armenian Progressive Group in Solidarity with
Pittsburgh Synagogue
By Leeza Arakelian and Karine Vann
BOSTON (The Armenian Weekly)—Just over 500 miles away from the Tree of
Life synagogue, where a Jewish community has been grieving the loss of
11 of its innocent worshippers, hundreds in the heart of Boston
recently gathered in the aftermath of that deadly shooting to pray, to
grieve, and to support.
Billed as a Boston Shiva and a rally against anti-Semitism and white
supremacy, several groups allied with Boston Workmen’s Circle and
Jewish Voice for Peace Boston on Thursday night at the New England
Holocaust Memorial, including a handful of local Armenians.
A day after the mass shooting, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan
extended his condolences to President Donald Trump writing in part,
“We condemn in the strongest terms this despicable manifestation of
violence and intolerance, and we express our solidarity to the calls
for a common struggle against xenophobia in the world.”
The Armenians at the Boston rally identified themselves as part of a
new progressive group called Zoravik. Organizer Sevag Arzoumanian
says, “We are interested in helping progressive forces in Armenia, but
we’re also interested in helping local progressive causes.”
Back in Pittsburgh, prosecutors said the gunman was allegedly talking
about “genocide and his desire to kill Jewish people” as he opened
fire on worshippers during Shabbat prayer services. “How could we not
be here?” Arzoumanian explains prefacing the Armenians’ shared history
with the Jews (the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide of 1915). “The
Armenian people and the Jewish people have gone through similar
experiences. The attack on the synagogue in Pittsburgh was an attack
against members of a given faith and members of a given minority.”
Another attendee was Samuel Chakmakjian, a graduate of Brandeis
University, which has a large Jewish student body. Chakmakjian was
there to support many of his friends from University but he says he
also came because he believes it is the right thing to do as an
Armenian.
“I feel a moral obligation,” he said. “I think that we as Armenians
need to really investigate that feeling of moral obligation and see
how our experiences can open us up to being there and helping other
communities as they heal, because we’re definitely not the only people
that feels pain as a result of ethnic violence or a history of
genocide or invisibility.”
Chakmakjian is a member of numerous organizations and initiatives in
the Armenian community (he has been an active member of the AYF since
he was a child), but says that, on this occasion, he was attending as
an activist with Zoravik.
“I think that Zoravik is opening up a very needed supplementary pocket
of our community because we often don’t pay attention to the social
justice causes that are happening around us, especially in the context
of America and other western countries where we have a significant
Diasporan community,” said Chakmakjian who did not notice any other
Armenian organization taking a firm stand on this mass shooting.
“Unfortunately this has fallen outside of their purview.”
While many Armenian organizations are focused on the culture, its
youth and relief efforts as traditional strategies for strengthening
the community, some like Chakmakjian argue it’s also equally important
to make meaningful connections with other faith groups outside the
community. “I think our reluctance to align with other causes and look
beyond our community is primarily a reaction to trauma and the very
real fears that we feel around disappearing…whether that’s by the
sword or by assimilation.”
This article appeared in The Armenian Weekly on November 7, 2018.
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7- Trump Appoints John B. Nalbandian to Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
The U.S. Senate confirmed a Union lawyer as the newest judge on a
Cincinnati-based appeals court—one step below U.S. Supreme Court—on
May 15, 2018. John Nalbandian, nominated by President Trump in
January, will serve on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Nalbandian, an attorney for Taft, Stettinius & Hollister in
Cincinnati, has many ties to Republican politics in Kentucky. He’s
served as general counsel to the Republican Party of Kentucky. In
2007, Gov. Ernie Fletcher appointed him as a special justice to the
Kentucky Supreme Court. Democrats have also shown respect for
Nalbandian. President Barack Obama picked him in 2009 to serve on the
board of the State Justice Institute, which awards grants to improve
state courts.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Nalbandian had dedicated
himself to economic development in Northern Kentucky and pushing for
more minority attorneys.
Nalbandian will be the seventh active Asian Pacific American federal
appellate judge nationwide. His mother, a Japanese-American, was born
in a Japanese-American internment camp during World War II.
“John Nalbandian has the impressive credentials, the preparation, the
broad support — every indication that he’ll be a worthy and capable
judge,” McConnell said.
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