ANCA may face investigation
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Hürriyet Daily News
OluÅŸturulma Tarihi: Åžubat 23, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - The Washington based ethics monitor, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, has filed complaints with federal agencies against the Armenian National Committee of America, or ANCA, for various lobbying and campaign violations.
CREW submitted voluminous materials to the U.S. Department of Justice, Internal Revenue Service, Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the House on Thursday that complained ANCA, the largest U.S. Armenian group had engaged in prohibited activity as a charitable organization, violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act and also skirted the Lobbying Disclosure Act.   Â
The letters of complaint said ANCA had violated restrictions on charitable organizations "by participating or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office." It said the organization illegally participated in the endorsement of Barack Obama for U.S. President and Joseph Biden for Vice-President, as well as some 15 U.S. Senate candidates and 211 U.S. House candidates.
Moreover ANCA executives "have lobbied Congress and the executive branch heavily with regard to perennial congressional Armenian genocide resolutions and other legislation bearing on U.S.-Armenia, U.S.-Turkey or U.S.-Azerbaijani relations without even registering with the Secretary of the Senate or Clerk of the House."
ANCA takes an active role in seeking formal recognition in the United States for the Armenian claims of "genocide".
The letters of complaint said ANCA had violated restrictions on charitable organizations "by participating or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office." It said the organization illegally participated in the endorsement of Barack Obama for U.S. President and Joseph Biden for Vice-President, as well as some 15 U.S. Senate candidates and 211 U.S. House candidates.
Moreover ANCA executives "have lobbied Congress and the executive branch heavily with regard to perennial congressional Armenian genocide resolutions and other legislation bearing on U.S.-Armenia, U.S.-Turkey or U.S.-Azerbaijani relations without even registering with the Secretary of the Senate or Clerk of the House."
ANCA takes an active role in seeking formal recognition in the United States for the Armenian claims of "genocide".