And out she goes...
It looks like one Ohio politician who had an unusual fondness for Turkish cuisine via free trips to Turkey and accepting extremely large financial hand-outs from the boys, took one too many trips to the baklava table -- and as a result -- was recently voted out of office.
According to Azbarez.com, Representative Jean Schmidt, who repeatedly took dough (not the baklava kind – the green stuff) from the boys, was told by the Congressional Ethics Committee that she, “Must pay back—a total of $500,000 in multiple improper gifts from the Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) between 2008 and 2010.”
Gee whiz, there goes the baklava budget…
Now our girl Schmidt has repeatedly stated that she never willingly accepted the money from the guys to pay for her legal fees, guess she was far too busy trashing the 2008 Armenian-American candidate , David Krikorian, to bother to look at where the $500,000 came from. Sure, it happens to us all the time, an extra half-a million dollars just sitting around with no idea of where it came from.
What concerns us most however – is that although the Congressional Ethics Committee told her to play nice and pay back the money – they never bothered to sanction her specific actions. It makes us wonder if some of the guy and gals on the Committee might also be taking a few bites of baklava with the boys… and a few bucks to boot.
But back to the good news -- and it is. Perhaps Schmidt’s defeat and ethics investigation will send a not so subtle message to the other legislators both on state and federal levels who have developed an affinity for Turkish culture at the expense of their constituents.
Oh! And the other good news, looks like Jean Schmidt will have plenty of time to visit Turkey now, but then again -- we suspect it will be on her own dime. Funny how baklava develops a bitter taste when it's not free.
Below is the article from Asbarez.com:
http://asbarez.com/101444/turkish-mouthpiece-voted-out-of-congress/
Turkish Mouthpiece Voted out of Congress
Unseated Rep. Jean Schmidt of Ohio
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.
According to Azbarez.com, Representative Jean Schmidt, who repeatedly took dough (not the baklava kind – the green stuff) from the boys, was told by the Congressional Ethics Committee that she, “Must pay back—a total of $500,000 in multiple improper gifts from the Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) between 2008 and 2010.”
Gee whiz, there goes the baklava budget…
Now our girl Schmidt has repeatedly stated that she never willingly accepted the money from the guys to pay for her legal fees, guess she was far too busy trashing the 2008 Armenian-American candidate , David Krikorian, to bother to look at where the $500,000 came from. Sure, it happens to us all the time, an extra half-a million dollars just sitting around with no idea of where it came from.
What concerns us most however – is that although the Congressional Ethics Committee told her to play nice and pay back the money – they never bothered to sanction her specific actions. It makes us wonder if some of the guy and gals on the Committee might also be taking a few bites of baklava with the boys… and a few bucks to boot.
But back to the good news -- and it is. Perhaps Schmidt’s defeat and ethics investigation will send a not so subtle message to the other legislators both on state and federal levels who have developed an affinity for Turkish culture at the expense of their constituents.
Oh! And the other good news, looks like Jean Schmidt will have plenty of time to visit Turkey now, but then again -- we suspect it will be on her own dime. Funny how baklava develops a bitter taste when it's not free.
Below is the article from Asbarez.com:
http://asbarez.com/101444/turkish-mouthpiece-voted-out-of-congress/
Turkish Mouthpiece Voted out of Congress
Unseated Rep. Jean Schmidt of Ohio
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.
