In the battle for control over ARF in Western USA, the end is in sights. A US judge has set 29 August 2023 as the starting day for a jury trial and set aside a 21-day period. The case will have possible implications on the ARF and its proxy organisations' status under the Foreign Actors Registration Act in the United States.
The jury will hear warring parties, the ARFDW (ARF DASHNAKTSUTYUN, WESTERN U.S.A), ACF (ARMENIAN CULTURAL FOUNDATION) and the ARFWUSA Inc. (ARMENIAN REVOLUTIONARY FEDERATION WUSA, INC) who are suing each other with various claims.
The trial will take place at US District Court, Central District of California.
The dispute arises from ARF central bureau in Yerevan (the Bureau) annulling ARFDW board elections and appointing their own choice of members to the board. ARFDW is a California Mutual Benefit Corporation and was the subject of focused examination in 2012, in response to an inquiry by the US Department of Justice, investigating whether the ARFDW was supposed to register as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (22 U.S.C. § 611 et seq.) [“FARA”].
That investigation concluded in finding "ARFDW does not act under the direction or control of the ARF," and the US Department of Justice found no need for ARFDW to register under FARA.
However, according to court filings, the ARF Bureau in Armenia indeed acted as the supreme authority appointing hardcore political lobbyists with ties to ANC America like Gev Iskajyan (Board member of ANCA WR in 2020) Steven Dadaian (ANCA WR Member) and the terrorist Monte Melkonian's brother Melkon Melkonian. (Former political staffer to Wendy Gruel) to the board on ARFDW on 27 December 2020.
More to come...
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