City Council Candidate Zareh Sinanyan took the opportunity to clear the air Tuesday night against allegations that he was responsible for a large volume of hateful comments on Youtube over a period of several years. You can stream the full meeting if you wish. This exchange begins at approximately 2:51.
ARA NAJARIAN
Once and far all, let’s be clear about it. Zareh, you deny these comments, is that correct?
ZAREH SINANYAN
Mr. Najarian, I answered the question twice. One correction; I was appointed to CBDG in 2008 by Bob Yousefian; Ms. Friedman removed me in 2009, you merely reappointed me. Thank you. I answered the same question, I’m happy to talk about city issues, but I can’t be brought back to answer the same question over and over again. I stated in my paper, that's it, I answered. So, with that in mind... [moves to sit down]
LAURA FRIEDMAN
Wait, wait - you said they're ‘not you.’ Did you write those posts? Did you write any of the Youtube posts that were attributed to you?”
ZAREH SINANYAN
It’s not a simple question. It’s not a simple question.
LAURA FRIEDMAN
How is that not a simple question?
ZAREH SINANYAN
It’s not a simple question because…I don’t know what I’m looking at. I don’t know what I’m looking at because…a certain blogger, who’s related to you, very closely, keeps threatening that there are more posts, that these are posts, that there’s this, there’s that…this happened, that happened. So…unless I see what it is that I’m being faced with, I’m not answering that question more so than I’ve already answered it.
LAURA FRIEDMAN
There are several Youtube comments on that blog with your name on them. I’m sure you saw those. Did you write any of those posts that have your name on them that were on that blog? It’s a very simple question.
ZAREH SINANYAN
Personally I haven’t been on that blog, nor do I care to, but I know what’s on it because it’s been conveyed to me. I answered the question, you can ask me five more times, and you’re going to get the same answer.
LAURA FRIEDMAN
You’re not denying having written any of those?
ZAREH SINANYAN
I told you that these are not my statements, they don’t reflect me, they don’t reflect my qualities…
LAURA FRIEDMAN
I understand they "don’t 'reflect' your qualities," but did you WRITE them?
ZAREH SINANYAN
I am telling you that I am investigating this issue and trying to understand. You’re asking me to answer about something… [indignant] they don’t reflect me, I don’t write stuff like that. You can’t bring one person who will say that Zareh talks like that, Zareh acts like that, Zareh writes like that. That’s the point.
previously:
- Zareh Sinanyan's Infamous Alleged Youtube Comments
- Adam Schiff Withdraws Sinanyan Glendale City Council Endorsement in Light of Allegations
- Sinanyan Scandal Updates & Detailed Responses to His Defenders
- Why It's Unlikely A "Hacker" Was Responsible For the Alleged Sinanyan Comments
23 comments:
Huge thanks to my Armenian friends for the support this week, I've needed it and you guys have been incredible. I know this ugliness is not representative of the Glendale community I've come to know and love.
-scott
The point Mr. Sinanayan is that you are using extremely vague language which is pretty much the equivalent of an outright lie to defend yourself and bringing down your fellow Armenians with you. Please stop embarrassing yourself. How you handled this situation has made it even more clear that you are not ready to be a leader of our city.
Also Scott this is a very generously titled article.
Why couldn't he say yes or no? His response was so fishy and disappointing. As an Armenian American I am so saddened that many members of the Armenian community are sticking by this man and calling this a racist smear campaign. If he didn't do it why wouldn't he come right out and deny it? Worst of all is that I actually was going to support his campaign and thought he'd make a good leader. Now I can't even think about that.
It's really unfortunate that Armenians as a whole are being dragged into this mess. Yes, there are a number of rather vocal Zareh supporters who happen to be of Armenian decent.
Let us not discount though that there are also a large number of intelligent Armenian folks who view Zareh in a negative light because of his actions and the (poorly executed) subsequent efforts to sweep the matter under the rug.
Oh Zareh, how typical of your politician self. Same goes to the rest of the clowns running/ruining our city.
Riiight, so you're in the middle of "investigating" things before you say yes/no to allegations - but you haven't seen the blog and have only heard of it through others - and yet you've seen *enough* to say, "No, those don't reflect me." Classic, dodgy, politician garbage, and a waste of time. Not to mention embarrassing and cringe-worthy to watch. How can someone take themselves seriously enough to actually hold a straight face while doing that? And as an Armenian-American who grew up here, I have to say: Amot kez. Get over yourself - your giant ego is blocking the sun.
I actually feel bad about what has happened. City council should have had more proof before bringing these allegations to the Dias. Ill be voting for Zareh unless someone is able to prove, google would be the best proof, that these allegations were written by him 100 percent. We're innocent till proven guilty nothing was proven. Whoever wrote those comments , they were wrong, disgusting, and hateful. Until its proven I'm stick by innocent till proven guilty. He has 4 kids, nice wife, his worked hard to get there. All the best to everyone.
To last poster:
The evidence is public. What you are basically saying is that you are MORE than willing to stay comfortably ignorant and throw your vote away on a man who couldn't even bring himself to publicly deny the claims.
That's like saying, "Oh, this hamburger just might have E.coli in it, but I've been eating these a long time so I'm just going to ignore all the warnings and eat it anyway while I wait for the USDA to finish testing it!"
Democracy...bludgeoned by the people, for the people.
All you need is basic comprehension skills to see that this guy is a raging sociopath, I don't care how nice his wife is or how many kids he has.
There you again attacking someone who merely stated there opinion by stating " I lack basic comprehensive skills" and that " im ignorant" who made you God? my comment was only positive , and I have every right to believe that your innocent till proven guilty. City council itself said they don't have any evidence so they voted to table the motion. Once again those comments are wrong but unless its proven by google that he wrote them ill be voting for him. You have no right to go negative on me because in the end we both agree the comments are wrong. It's how they were presented without any proof that I have decided to do a single vote for Mr Sinanyan, even though I'm allowed three.
To the comment above... There was proof, mountains of evidence. Just google his name with some obscenities such as f***t or c**t and you'll see the evidence for yourself. To see that, then listen to his statement about the comments, then watch the dog and pony show which was the city council meeting where he wouldn't even deny making those comments and still saying that he's "innocent until proven guilty" is just ignorant. Maybe in a court of law if he was being charged with anything but in this case I think the evidence is against him.
Why would he lie and say he's never been on the blog before? Of course he's been on the blog he had to have seen it to make those attacks. Why wouldn't he just say "no i didn't write those statements"? Why didn't he take up Laura Friedman on her offer to use city resources to contact Google and get to the bottom of this? We've become so obsessed with this notion that we literally need to see him on video typing these comments or he didn't do it that people won't use their brain to simply put two and two together.
If the guy doesn't have the guts to come out and either a. apologize for what he said or b. say he didn't write those, then that person is clearly not worthy of anyones vote. He's not to fit to represent you or me or anyone in the city of Glendale and that's a fact. At this point he needs to address two things. How he's sorry for making those comments and why he did it in the first place. Until then he should not be on anyone's mind for any office and I am truly disappointed in our city council for dancing around the issue like this besides Laura Friedman and (kind of) Ara Najarian. I am especially disappointed in Rafi Manoukian, if I needed any more proof that this man does not give a damn about the truth I just got it.
You're missing the point Anonymous, this isn't a court of law.. council was just asking him a simple question of whether he wrote those words or not?? ... and he was given multiple chances to say he didn't.
It's as if someone tells you that your wife/husband/partner is cheating on you, you don't have actual pictures of how/when/where it happened; you simply confront him/her, and they simply can't assure you by saying the simple words "I DID NOT CHEAT ON YOU". but they say a number of vague statements -- cheating does not reflect my values and beliefs.. it's not who i am. I think you'd have to be missing a few screws to be okay with that. you might be BLINDED by your LOVE for your partner, but you know where this is going..
He may very well win, even in light of this mess, but it won't change the fact that he is fundamentally being dishonest, or at a minimum not denying the actions (way to reinforce the stereotype Zareh!).
For many Armenians, including myself, I know the dishonesty/lack of denial/confuscation (whatever you want to call it) is ultimately WORSE than the initial deed.
Own up to it and say you didn't write those words if you didn't write them, Zareh! He's a lawyer, he knows what to say if he REALLY didn't do it.
I was going to vote for him and now I'm not and I would consider changing my mind again IF he actually came out and either said he didn't write those words or he did and he feels remorse and this is why he did it...
he clearly has nothing to lose at this point by taking one of those routes.. otherwise he is just going to continue to hemorrhage more valuable votes and stay stuck in a horrible state of personal ethical purgatory.
I was attacked earlier for stating nothing has been proven. I was called "ignorant " and that " I lack basic comprehensive skills". At no time did I ever use derogatory terms with someone who disagreed with me. This us what democracy is all about. We all condemn these remarks. But I also condemn how Mrs. Friedman and Mr. Najarian used there city council seats to bring allegations, ask him to resign his commission seat, without 100 percent proof that it was Mr. Sinanyan. What did Mrs. Friedman and Mr. Najarian gain? They hurt there opponent for there own political gain. This is politics at its lowest moment. Those comments are wrong, but if they believed so strongly then they should have voted to remove him from the commission. Instead they accomplished what they really wanted which was to hurt Mr Sinanyan so they win. Therefore I will be voting for Mr Sinanyan and no other candidate.
Thank God some of our council members have the guts to bring these issues to light. This may have been for political gain or it may not have I don't know the answer to that question I just know what Zareh did. Although it may not be unforgivable his response to the comments have been very telling and that is why I will NOT vote for him and will encourage anyone that can NOT to vote for this coward.
He stood there and didn't refute anything, didn't apologize, didn't show a backbone.
I can't believe some of the city council member responses.
Why doesn't ANC attack Rep.Adam Schiff,Eric Garcetti,Wendy Gruel and P.krekorian for removing their support and endorsment to Zareh. They do not want to associate with a racist and a man who uses a foul language that anyone should be ashamed of. After all they all have a future in politics and want to protect their integrity. Its OK for them to do so however for Friedman and Najarianit is unforgivable to ask a fellow candidate,"Did you or didn't you?
And odf course Sinanyan's answer tells it all.
ANC should pull out his support and endorsement of Zareh Sinanyan for the same reason Rep. Adam Schiff,PaulKrekorian,Garcetta and others did. ANC is a world wide organization with centers in a number of Moslem countries. ANC should Accept the truth and Come clean. Zareh is not God. He is a human being made a mistake,he should apologize and close the case.-Worry about us all Armienians living all over the world. Just go on internet and Hit "News from Pakistan" then you will understand what Iam talking about.
I agree full heartedly with the comments made at 12:04 PM
Why did they table the potion? They all voted for that cause they had no evidence. Folks his gone win, cause its do obvious what Friedman and Najarian have in common. There running for reelection and them 2 only were taking a very aggressive approach which will backfire on them. Mr. Sinanyan will win cause of the circus they created without any proof. Those comments are wrong but unless its proven it looks too political in behalf of Friedman and Najarian. Well see who right after the election.
How will we see whose right after the election? Whether he wins or not doesn't change who he is and what kind of crap he wrote on the internet. And I think anyone with eyes and an internet connection can see that he clearly made those comments so there's your "evidence". Seriously this guy has proven through his handling of this situation that he's bad news and if you have any self respect for yourself, Armenians, and humanity in general you won't vote for this sociopath...
MLK Jr. desired that one day, people would be judged by the content of their character vs. the color of their skin. What does that whole fiasco say about the content of his character?
The vitriol in this guy is out of this world. "One correction, you merely re-appointed me". That statement in itself was very telling. An appointment is an appointment and you don't own any position for an appointment to be "merely" a re-appointment. The ego on the guy, I guess he is God's gift and Ara did the world a favor by "reappointing" him. Scumbag.
Those statement reflect him. That much was made clear enough and they are the tip of the iceberg.
I feel sorry for Zareh and all those Armenians who believe he is innocent. If you watched City Council meeting you could have had no doubt that he is guilty.
But we still have some Armenians who are blind and deaf and don't want to see the truth. Go ahead and Blame Friedman and Najarian. Will that clear Zareh's name?. Absolutely no. But before I forget, Zareh should thank Raffi- at least he has found his kind, one true friend on the council.
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