Khatchig Tazian
It is no secret by now that a faction traditionally associated with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation leadership in the Western United States, while in office as the Western United States Central Committee chose to disregard its higher executive body’s decision of an appointment of a new Central Committee during Covid restrictions. Furthermore, it held an “emergency” meeting on December 28, 2020, electing a rogue group in direct contradiction to the BYLAWS of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and in direct opposition to the decisions of the highest executive body of the ARF.
In doing so, they retained corporate governance over the entities that hold the Real Estate assets (typically retained under the name of Armenian Cultural Foundation, ACF), the ARF-affiliated media, bookstore, fundraising operations, and most importantly, the corporation through which the ARF operated then in the Western United States known as ARF Dashnaktsutyun, Western U.S.A.
The group went so far as to file a federal lawsuit under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) against the persons appointed to the ARF Central Committee by the ARF Bureau, and then members elected to the Central Committee of the 55th ARF Regional Convention that was held on July 18, 2021. In other words, the rogues were/are accusing the legitimate ARF members of racketeering, and its highest executive body of being a corrupt foreign agent, and the members adhering to the bylaws and hierarchy of the ARF as collaborators of that foreign agent…
To be clear, this type of lawsuit, that is RICO, is intended for the likes of organized crime bosses such as Al Capone, and John Gotti. Yet the rogue group who parade themselves as the bastions of the TRUE ARF goals, traditions, and ideals has no issue at all accusing their fellow ARF members in Federal Court as racketeers, knowing full well that the ARF Bureau appointment was in line with the ARF Bylaws, and all acts that followed by the legitimate group were for safeguarding the organization, the community assets, and the community at large.
In the months following the December 2020 debacle, rift, and schism, and due to the rogue group’s actions, the ARF 34th World Congress held in March 2021, the highest authority in the ARF (convened every four years) disavowed ARFDW and declared the newly established ARF WUSA Inc. as its sole representative corporation in the Western United States, and its board of directors and current Central Committee as the only ARF representative body in the region.
In the meantime, a very narrowly defined lawsuit was filed on behalf of the ARF by three individual members to speed up the resolution of the issue in an attempt to nullify the election of the “emergency regional convention” that was held in an affront to the decision of the ARF Bureau in late December 2020. To limit the damage to the organization, and to fast-track the case so it does not linger in courts for two or more years, a decision was made not to dispute a set of fake bylaws that were entered into the record by the rogues, especially since the Board election provisions were almost identical in the authentic ARF Bylaws as well as the fake one put forward by the rogues.
The court agreed with all of the deficiencies that the plaintiffs had pointed out that would nullify the election of the rogue board of directors under California law. However, it chose to go along with the narrative that the rogue group put forward in defining the ARF Bureau as a corrupt foreign agent, intent on taking over a US-based corporation by the use of its agents with unclean hands. By doing so, it upheld the election of the board of the corporation that by now had no ties to the worldwide ARF, but carries the name of the organization.
While the above case was being appealed to a higher court, another lawsuit was filed to compel an election of a new ACF board of directors. . The ACF bylaws required the board of directors to be elected in an annual general meeting. Given that the individuals purporting to be the ACF board had a legitimacy issue, they resorted to scheduling a meeting for the election of a board, only after attempting to expel five chapters, in order to ensure a favorable election result for them. (Fact 1: Since its formation as a 501c3 Corporation in 1978 the ACF has not expelled a single chapter for any reason; Fact 2: The ACF bylaws have been the same for the entire time since its formation.)
When the legitimate side went to court to demand their reinstatement, the court agreed and forced the chapters back into the ACF. Still, intent on having an election with a pre-determined outcome, the individuals purporting to be the ACF board noticed a meeting but invited unauthorized delegates from imposter chapters favorable to them and claimed to have elected a “legitimate board. It is important to note that on the day of the election, the legitimate delegates of four chapters: Glendale, La Crescenta, San Francisco, and West Valley were barred from entering the meeting. This, after those four chapters held a signature campaign affirming legitimacy through an absolute democratic majority. While it became evident that the purported ACF board had no intention of having a democratic election, the legitimate delegates who constituted the majority, re-convened and conducted a free and fair election of the ACF board.
With two boards elected, the legitimate side went to court for relief. The honorable Judge Beckloff, in his decision annulling the elections of both boards, was very clear as to the intent of the rogues to arrive at a predetermined result based on their actions. Additionally, the judge very clearly stated that the signature campaign to clarify the legitimacy of the executive boards that could send delegates was not disputed by the rogues, and it pointed clearly to one side trying to pre-determine the elections through their imposter chapters. The reason the judge nullified the legitimate side’s board’s election had to do with notice to the meeting.
It is important to note that there has been a track record of ‘termination’ of chapters, attempted evictions of people and organizations from the community centers, and usurping of other financial and real assets that belong to the chapters, by the individuals holding themselves out to be the purported board of directors.
Now with both boards nullified, the member chapters came together and decided to hold a long overdue, fair, and free election in compliance with the ACF bylaws and California corporate law. The special meeting is to be held on Sunday, August 13, 2023, at 5:00PM at the Burbank Youth Center with an agenda that includes: A) Reviewing the legal cases the ACF is involved in. B) Authorizing a forensic audit of the ACF financials. C) Electing a new board of directors.
Doing so, would: 1) Go a long way in restoring trust in the non-profit organization and its leadership. 2) Have it return to its mission of serving the American Armenian Communities in their respective regions through their community centers 3) Bring transparency to the finances of the organization 4) Democratically elect a board representative for the mission the ACF was formed 5) End the division created within the community due to the malicious lawsuits that have been filed in its name by rogue individuals.
In the most basic terms, a successful ACF Special Meeting that is duly called by the clear majority of the member chapters and representative delegates of the organization could mean the beginning of the end of the dualities the community has been contending with. The lawsuits through which the resources of the community have been drained. Most of all, the millions being spent to reassert the legitimate ARF / ACF in the region could be spent in much more important places and instances while our ancestral homeland is being threatened, and our people are on the verge of another genocide.
Finally this. Since the beginning of this conflict, in addition to the lawsuits, there have been many attempts at reaching an organizational solution to the issues at hand. In addition to direct talks at the highest levels, various channels of intermediaries had been used, until recently judge Beckloff in rendering his tentative decision “forced” the two sides into mediation that started a process that is still ongoing.
Suffice it to say that, an agreement would be preferable to the destructive path the rogues have chosen for the organization and the community at large.
Now is an opportune time to resolve issues. This is the time to either come to an agreement or bear the burden of all the consequences that will ensue in its absence due to rogues’ insistence on separation.
On balance are the local communities, the organizations, Artsakh, and our people.
What will they do?…
