Turkish Millionaire Among America’s Top Political Donors

Turkish Millionaire Among America’s Top Political Donors

America’s most generous political donors have been identified as a Turkish-American family from New England that gave $424,050 in contributions in 2008, the Nashua Telegraph reported.

The investigative report by Nashua Telegraph staff writer, Andrew Wolfe, cites statistics from the nonpartisan Center For Responsive Politics that show Yalcin and Serpil Ayasli “gave more money to politicians and political action groups than anyone else in the country during the 2008 election cycle.”

Ayasli’s contribution’s, however, were geared toward a specific agenda, Wolfe reveals.

Their $424,050 in contributions in 2008 – when they were the nation’s top individual contributors — were evenly split between Democratic and Republican candidates, according to the center’s website, www.opensecrets.org.

While the Ayaslis’ donations have tipped toward Republicans recently, a closer look suggests their giving has nothing to do with partisan politics, but rather is aimed toward advancing Turkish-American relations and the interests and image of Turkey in the United States.

Wolfe goes on to report that the couple contributed heavily to the Turkish-led campaign to prevent the 111th Congress from voting on the Armenian Genocide resolution, H.Res.252, during the last days of 2010.

Most recently, Yalcin Ayasli and groups he supports helped lead the countercharge against bringing the Armenian Genocide Resolution to a vote during the closing days of the 111th Congress.

Ayasli is the founder of the Turkish Coalition of America and the Turkish American Legal Defense Fund, which focus on denying the Armenian Genocide.

www.asbarez.com

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