Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 6
By Elmira Tariverdiyeva – Trend:
California, one of the largest states in the US, is famous not only for its Hollywood and Silicon Valley, and not even for its wonderful climate, but also for the fact that the state often lives by its own laws, which fundamentally contradict the national interests of the US.
The case is that the state is densely populated by US citizens of Armenian origin, and the Armenian lobby has taken over California, especially its politicians as well.
According to information obtained from various sources, California is a home to about one million ethnic Armenians with 500,000 of them living in the Greater Los Angeles Area. At the same time, the ubiquitous members of the Armenian community work in political, economic, cultural, social and other spheres, as well as hold positions in various public and private structures of California, including the legislative, executive and judicial branches of the government.
Given all the above mentioned, it is obvious that today California is one of the main ideological and financial centers of the Armenian lobby. A lot of money circulating between the representatives of one of the biggest Armenian diasporas and corrupt Californian politicians bear fruit. Yet another decision contrary to Washington’s policy has been bought for the Armenian money.
On Mar. 2, 2017, the California State Senate’s Rules Committee, led by Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin de Leon, passed a fast-tracked decision to establish a “Select Committee on California, Armenia and Artsakh Mutual Trade, Art and Cultural Exchange”.
“Artsakh” is the name used by Armenians for Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region, which has been under the occupation of Armenia since early 1990s.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
The establishment of the “Select Committee on California, Armenia and Artsakh Mutual Trade, Art and Cultural Exchange” was proudly announced by the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region (ANCA-WR), which paid for this initiative.
Following the establishment of this committee, California’s Armenian lobby has issued statements, expressing gratitude to Kevin de Leon and other senators, apparently, not only in words, but also in especially large amounts of money.
However, ANCA representatives forgot to mention that this so-called committee’s creation strongly contradicts the US federal foreign policy as it relates to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The US has stated many times that it supports Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh’s “independence”.
The committee members are Kevin de Leon, Anthony Portantino and Scott Wilk. A meticulous analysis of these three legislators’ political career and of their longtime interactions with California’s Armenian lobby are indicative of the fact that the establishment of this “Select Committee” was not free of charge, but was a result of pure pay-for-play politics.
So, let’s see who is who in this committee.
Senator Kevin De Leon is the president pro tempore of the California State Senate, a member of the Democratic Party. He started his political career at the California State Assembly in 2006, being elected to the Senate in 2010, and was elected president pro tempore of the Senate in 2014.
De Leon is considered one of the most pro-Armenian legislators in the US. He represents largely Armenian-populated areas of Los Angeles, including Little Armenia. He is surrounded by Armenians. Many Armenians are his staff members.
De Leon is the major force behind all pro-Armenian attempts at the California State Legislature. He doesn’t do this service for free. The Armenian lobby has generously supported his election campaigns over the years.
According to open sources monitoring American campaign contributions, De Leon has received $119,500 from Armenians and Armenian organizations since 2006. For his services in support of the illegal regime in Karabakh, he was awarded a medal of gratitude in 2015 by the illegal regime’s head Bako Sahakyan. He was also awarded in 2014 the Legislator of the Year award by the ANCA-WR.
De Leon’s dubious political activities do not end with this. In 2013, he was investigated by FBI within a corruption investigation against his colleague Senator Ron Calderon, who was eventually sentenced to three years of prison.
Furthermore, in 2015 FBI questioned Kevin de Leon about a corruption scheme around an environmental bill at the California Senate.
Senator Anthony Portantino is the second member of the recently established committee, who was awarded by the Armenians. He was elected to the California State Senate in 2016. Before that he served at the California State Assembly from 2006 to 2012. He is a member of the Democratic Party and represents densely Armenian-populated areas of the Los Angeles County. His staff includes many Armenians.
Portantino has actively participated in all anti-Azerbaijani and anti-Turkish actions held by the Armenian lobby in California.
His services for the Armenian lobby did not go unappreciated. According to open sources monitoring American campaign contributions, just for his election to the California Senate, Armenians donated $47,300 to his campaign.
In June 2016 he illegally visited the occupied regions of Azerbaijan – Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts –where he was very well wined and dined. The visit was financed and arranged by the Armenian lobby.
Senator Scot Wilk, the third member of the “Select Committee on California, Armenia and Artsakh Mutual Trade, Art and Cultural Exchange”, was elected to the California Senate in 2016.
Before that he served at the California State Assembly in 2012-2016. He is married to Vanessa Safoyan, an Armenian. Wilk was behind all pro-Armenian, anti-Azerbaijani and anti-Turkish initiatives at the California State Legislature.
Like his other two colleagues, Wilk has also financially profited from serving pro-Armenian interests. According to open sources monitoring American campaign contributions, since 2012, Senator Wilk has received $87,250 in political donations from Armenians and Armenian organizations.
In 2013, he also paid an illegal visit to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The visit was financed by the ANCA-WR, the Armenian lobby’s largest organization.
Well, let’s hope that US President Donald Trump will find time to deal with the lawlessness taking place in the California State Legislature, and will be able to break the corruption schemes of individual representatives of California authorities, who think not of the national interests of the US, but only of their personal profit.
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Elmira Tariverdiyeva is the head of Trend Agency's Russian News Service, follow her on Twitter @EmmaTariver