Leaked Memo Shows PR Firm with Ties to Azerbaijan Urged U.S. Journalists to Publish Critical Stories About ANCA

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has called for full transparency from a London-based public relations firm after leaked communications revealed an apparent effort to quietly encourage American media outlets to publish critical stories targeting the Armenian American advocacy organization.

According to information shared by the ANCA, Apollo Strategic Communications allegedly circulated a media advisory to U.S. journalists on March 2, 2026. The email, reportedly sent by Apollo staff member Daniel Blake-Martin, invited editors and reporters to pursue stories criticizing the ANCA and its advocacy work. The message was later leaked by several news organizations that had received it.

The advisory reportedly included arguments commonly used by Azerbaijani and Turkish officials against pro-Armenian advocacy groups in Washington. It also offered journalists access to four unnamed sources who could provide comments for such stories. These sources were described as including a congressional staffer, an Armenian ruling-party member of parliament, and figures connected to academic and think-tank communities.

The ANCA strongly criticized the effort, describing it as a coordinated attempt to undermine Armenian American advocacy at a time when the organization has been actively campaigning for issues related to Armenia and Artsakh.

ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian responded publicly to the revelations, describing the memo as “a scripted hit-piece against the ANCA sent in stealth to American journalists — a blueprint for slander, enlisting the anonymous backing of Armenians from Garo Paylan to Maria Karapetyan, MP — to punish the ANCA, not for our vices but for our virtues.”

Hamparian argued that the campaign targeted the organization because of its advocacy for Armenian security and rights. He wrote that the ANCA has been “assaulted for standing foursquare for the security of Armenia, the return of Armenians to Artsakh, the end of Azerbaijani occupation, the protection of Christian holy sites, and — perhaps most ‘unforgivable’ of all for Baku and its BP patrons — accountability for Azerbaijan's crimes against the Armenian people.”

One of the individuals referenced in the memo, former Turkish-Armenian parliamentarian Garo Paylan, later publicly distanced himself from the alleged campaign. Writing on X, he said that messages had been sent to journalists in his name without his authorization.

Shortly after the leak became public, Apollo Strategic Communications deactivated its account on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. The firm also removed Blake-Martin’s profile from its website.

The ANCA is now demanding answers from Apollo Strategic Communications regarding the origins of the campaign. The organization has raised several questions, including who hired the firm to promote critical coverage of the ANCA and how much funding was involved.

Another major concern raised by the group relates to possible violations of the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The ANCA argues that if Apollo was acting on behalf of a foreign government or foreign-linked interests while targeting an American organization, the firm may have been required to register with the U.S. Department of Justice.

The ANCA is also asking how individuals such as Armenian parliamentarian Maria Karapetyan, analyst Nzhdeh Hovsepyan, and Garo Paylan were connected to the effort and whether their names were used appropriately.

Further questions have been raised about the corporate background of Apollo Strategic Communications. The firm operates under the umbrella of RSK Group, a multinational environmental and engineering company.

According to reporting by California Courier publisher and columnist Harut Sassounian, RSK Group owns a subsidiary called Azerbaijan Environment and Technology Centre Ltd., which maintains an office and conducts projects in Azerbaijan and the Caspian region. Sassounian noted that the PR campaign could potentially fall under foreign lobbying rules in the United States.

He wrote that the memo “was sent to the American media by a UK, not U.S., PR firm, possibly intending to circumvent” federal foreign lobbying disclosure requirements. Sassounian also reported that Apollo did not respond to repeated requests for comment following the revelations.

Corporate records indicate that Apollo Strategic Communications has operated under several names since it was established in 2009, including Red Public Relations Limited and Apollo Public Relations Limited.

For the ANCA, the controversy shows what it says are ongoing attempts by Azerbaijani interests and their partners to discredit Armenian advocacy in Washington.

Hamparian emphasized that the ANCA conducts its advocacy openly through community engagement, press outreach, and public events. In contrast, he argued that the alleged campaign against the organization was conducted secretly and only became public because of the leak.

“The ANCA publicly shares our work — enlisting our community via open calls to activism, press releases, and national townhall meetings,” Hamparian wrote. “Apollo's involvement, by contrast, would have remained entirely unknown had their emails not been leaked.”

The organization continues to call on Apollo Strategic Communications to disclose who financed the campaign and the full details of any contracts or payments tied to the effort.

Armenian Americans can follow the ANCA’s ongoing updates and advocacy efforts through the organization’s official website.

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