Gulen Politicians Wisconsin Lawmakers go to Turkey but fail to vote in a State resolution honoring Turkey

Wisconsin Resolution for Turkey that was shot down

On the famous Turkey trip at the same old stops (Yawn)


 

Gulen Politicians in Ohio, questioned about Turkey trip and the answer is PORK?

Gulen and his "boys" lead lobbyists for Turkey, Azerbaijan and other
Turkic Countries (L) Faruk Taban   (R) Kemal Oksuz

More information on Turkish Lobbying http://turkishinvitations.weebly.com/is-the-turquoise-council-the-paid-lobbying-firm-of-azerbaijans-government.html

 

Is the Gulen Movement getting into Pork Exports to Turkey? (Alleged)
hog farmers, money and politics Rory Ryan Rory Ryan Rory Ryan Publisher/Editor


Maybe I need to be a little more careful about what I write. Maybe not. Typically, if I wrote, I'll stand by it – until, of course, a new set of information arises. That said, last week, I wrote that it would be nice if State Rep. Cliff Rosenberger and Highland County Commissioner Jeremy Shaffer would publicly share precisely what benefits to Highland County have been derived from their Niagara Foundation-funded "economic trade mission" to Turkey in 2011. I also offered an invitation to members of the local Republican Party to publicly share their thoughts on Turkish money and its impact in Ohio politics, government and, more importantly, education. Maybe I should ask the Turks, themselves. After all, as has been widely reported, more than $900 million of tax money earmarked for public education in the 2013-14 school year did not go toward public education. The Ohio School Boards Association reports: "Ohio Department of Education data shows traditional public schools will lose more than $870 million in state funding to charter schools in fiscal year 2014. "That's an increase of 5.4 percent over FY 2013, when approximately $824 million was transferred from traditional public schools to charters. "This increase comes amid ongoing reports of charter school mismanagement, conflicts of interest and felony indictments and convictions."



 At the July 30 meeting of the Highland County Board of Commissioners, Mr. Shaffer was asked, again, what local benefits have been derived from the much-publicized Niagara Foundation-funded trip to Turkey in 2011. The Niagara Foundation is linked to Islamist cleric Fethullah Gulen and his charter schools that are under a state and FBI investigation. Commissioner Shaffer stated that a "Mowrystown hog farm operation" has benefited from the state and local officials' 2011 Turkey trek through increased pork exports. He named the alleged owner of this alleged hog farm operation. Since I've known the alleged owner for more than 40 years, and since I've known his family to be cattle and crops farmers, I contacted him and asked how, exactly, he benefited from Ohio lawmakers and county officials traveling to the former Ottoman Empire. Suffice it to say that the alleged Mowrystown hog farmer was surprised to learn of his supposed good fortune. The farmer asked me to ask the Turkey travelers just two questions:
1. Where is this Highland County hog farm operation, so we can all visit it?
2. How did southern Ohio Republicans convince a multitude of Muslims to eat pork?

Not being a very smart man, I cannot answer either question, amusing as they are. Once again, I'll offer an invitation to those on the train to Istanbul to explain. (We'll give a pass to the Republican state representative with the 53 criminal indictments. He's been a bit pre-occupied since the 2011 sightseeing adventure.) The company some people keep… After much searching of our archives and other media archives, I have yet to determine precisely how Highland County has benefited from this so-called trade mission to Turkey. Let's remember, too, that some of these politicians send media "news" releases whenever they take as much as a pit stop in their respective districts. Granted, as a good friend of mine suggested, there are some days when I'm more confused than a schizophrenic house cat on a new mosaic floor. Maybe this is one of those days. At the very least, though, one would think the Ohio pols would remember the Turkish benefits to former Second District Congresswoman Jean Schmidt – another Republican – and point to that as some "accomplishment," her ethics violations notwithstanding. But, no. Silence remains golden.

http://highlandcountypress.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=22&ArticleID=23833

Gulen Azerbaijan lobbying in Tennessee backfires

Rep. Joe Towns "Just a coincidence I received $10,000 from Azerbaijan lobbying and
then shortly after tries to pass a resolution in Tennessee about Azerbaijan.

 http://www.newschannel5.com/story/25530882/lawmaker-says-10k-contribution-resolution-just-coincidence

by Phil Williams
Chief Investigative Reporter

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A lawmaker's $10,000 campaign contribution and a resolution he introduced this year in the legislature are reviving questions about foreign influences on Tennessee's Capitol Hill.

Last year, NewsChannel 5 Investigates first revealed how advocates for foreign countries were taking your lawmakers on expensive junkets.

Now, we've discovered a case of mysterious donors handing out money for a legislative campaign.

During a hurried legislative session dominated by all sorts of contentious issues, state Rep. Joe Towns found time to introduce a House resolution -- HR 145 -- calling for national support for the country of Azerbaijan.

"Let me tell you where it came from -- it actually came from friends that I know that are from Azerbaijan," the Memphis Democrat told NewsChannel 5 Investigates.

An oil-rich, predominantly Muslim country -- where Eastern Europe meets western Asia -- Azerbaijan has been involved in a decades-old dispute with the predominantly Christian country of Armenia over territory that both countries claim.

Towns said he agreed to introduce the resolution because Azerbaijan is a U.S. ally.

"You did not just come up with this one your own?" we asked.

"No, no, no," Towns answered.

"And you knew nothing about the conflict between these two countries?"

"No, I did not."

But Armenian immigrant Barry Barsoumian said, "Those brutal people, they are trying to change history by going around different states in the United States passing resolutions."

Barsoumian discovered Towns' resolution and could not believe anyone would ask a Tennessee lawmaker to help a country known for its human rights abuses and whose leader is seen as one of the world's most corrupt.

"I asked him if it was Azerbaijani Embassy. He denied it," Barsoumian recalled. "But he wouldn't name or tell me what organization was behind it."

But NewsChannel 5 Investigates looked at Towns' campaign reports and discovered he introduced the resolution just two weeks after he got a total of $10,000 in campaign contributions from people out of Texas with ties to the Azerbaijani community.

"This one was probably in Texas, Houston," Towns said, looking at his campaign disclosure.

"You had a fundraiser in Houston?" we asked.

"Uh-huh. I've had fundraisers in other places before. That's true."

"Who hosted that fundraiser?"

"Well, my friends. Friends of mine."

NewsChannel 5 Investigates asked, "Who in particular?"

"Well, I don't want to get involved in their names because this is about me," Towns answered. "I don't want to talk about their names and who they were."

Still, our investigation discovered that a Turkish-Azerbaijani cultural center in Houston appears to be the common connection for all seven of the contributors, who reportedly gave either $1,000 or $1,500 each to Towns' campaign.

"Did the people who gave you the $10,000 ask you to introduce this resolution?" NewsChannel 5 Investigates asked Towns.

"No, they didn't. Did not," he responded.

"It's purely coincidental?"

"Oh, of course."

But Barsoumian called it "suspicious [that] somebody in Tennessee would introduce a bill for Azerbaijan and then those organizations funnel money to his campaign."

One of the contributors listed on Towns' campaign report as having given a thousand dollars first told us, "That's wrong information. I don't know anyone from Tennessee."

Later he changed his story, saying "I remember something like that. I never met him. I did it through my friends, my community."

Adding to the mystery: almost a third of the money supposedly came from two people who live in an apartment in one of Houston's roughest neighborhoods.

In fact, we identified $13,000 in contributions in the last two years to various candidates around the country from just one low-rent apartment.

So we went back to Representative Towns.

"Does that strike you as odd?" we asked.

"See, in order for me to know that," he responded, "I would have to know the lay of the land down there, the people. I don't know. I don't know."

But when Towns' resolution came up in committee, members of the Armenian community had already lobbied other lawmakers to kill the bill.

The resolution never even got a vote -- a strange end to what some consider a strange piece of legislation.

NewsChannel 5 Investigates asked Towns, "You attend a fundraiser and then suddenly you are introducing this resolution. Do you understand why someone might be suspicious?"

"I can't deal with people's suspicion," he said. "I don't address their suspicion. The fact is that it happens all the time."

Some of the contributors appear to have connections to groups who've taken Tennessee officials on free trips to Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Towns was supposed to go on one of those trips last year, but he wasn't able to go.

Still, he did sponsor another House resolution that essentially accused Armenia of war crimes.

That resolution actually passed the House on a 93-0 vote.

So why would Azerbaijan care about what the Tennessee House thinks about world affairs?

It appears to be part of an orchestrated PR campaign to show that world opinion is on their side.

Towns said that he hopes it leads to better understanding of all the countries in that region.

Email: pwilliams@newschannel5.com

Related story:

Turkish Groups Offer Free Foreign Trips For Lawmakers