ARMENIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF AMERICA BROUGHT TO TRIAL
Washington, 20 February (AZERTAC). The American observant organization “Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington” brought an action against the Armenian National Committee of America. Appealing to the Ministry of Justice, Service of Internal Incomes, and also in both chambers of the Congress of the country, the Organization demanded to investigate the Committee`s activity. In the message addressed to the said governmental structures the organization “Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington” notes that activity of the Western representation of the Armenian National Committee of America and the Committee`s Fund don’t correspond to the status of the charitable organization in quality of which they were registered. Though the Committee also is not registered officially as internal lobbyist group or the representative of foreign interests in the USA, it is engaged in lobbyist activity. The observant organization brings to notice that the Armenian structures break federal tax laws in spite of the fact that are officially charitable organizations, during elections of 2008 took part in political campaigns of 15 senators and 211 congressmen, and also candidates on the post of the president and the vice-president from Democratic Party.
In the document sent to law enforcement bodies the organization notices that the Armenian National Committee of America have close connections with Party of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation which is the member of the ruling command of Republic Armenia. Despite it, the Committee is not registered in the Ministry of Justice as the representative of foreign political party or lobbyist group, and breaks corresponding laws. The observant organization underlines that representatives of the Armenian National Committee repeatedly stated that are engaged in lobbyist activity illegally. In statements and Committee`s press releases openly it is underlined that they have persuaded nine committee-men on Senate external relations to ask the candidate on the post of the ambassador of the USA in Armenia on “genocide of Armenians”, working with legislators of the United States, prevented financing from outside the USA of the project of the railway passing through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, and in 1992 excluded Azerbaijan from the list of the former Soviet republics receiving assistance from the USA.
The director of the organisation” Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington” Melanie Sloan notes that the facts extracted by observers give the ground to say that the Armenian National Committee breaks federal tax laws, laws on registration of the foreign organisations and the lobbyism rule. Though interests of the Committee in the USA policy are quite clear, it should, as well as other structures of America participating in exchange by political views to observe laws. Therefore, the organisation “Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington” demands from the Ministry of Justice, Service of Internal Incomes, the Secretary of the Senate and the clerk of the House of Representatives to investigate the infringement of the law admitted by the Armenian National Committee of America.
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