California Governor Demands Federal Investigation Into Dr. Oz's Alleged Discrimination
California Governor Gavin Newsom's administration has formally requested a civil rights investigation into Dr. Mehmet Oz, alleging the federal official engaged in discriminatory rhetoric against Armenian Americans in a recent social media video about hospice fraud in Los Angeles.
Controversial Video Sparks Outrage
The Democratic governor's complaint, filed on Thursday, follows Dr. Oz posting a video filmed outside an Armenian bakery in Los Angeles' Van Nuys neighbourhood. In the footage, Dr. Oz, who serves as administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, claimed approximately $3.5 billion in hospice and home care fraud had occurred in the city, suggesting "quite a bit of it" was operated by "the Russian Armenian mafia."
Newsom's office argued in their formal complaint that Dr. Oz "spewed baseless and racially charged allegations" that could deter the targeted community from participating in essential hospice and home care programmes. They further stated the claims had "already caused real-world harm" by negatively impacting business at the featured Armenian bakery.
Community Response and Business Impact
Movses Bislamyan, whose family owns the bakery shown in Dr. Oz's video, expressed confusion and frustration to local media. "Mafia? There is no Armenian mafia going on here," Bislamyan told KABC-TV. "We're just hardworking business owners. I don't understand why he's mentioning just Armenians."
The demand for investigation represents the latest flashpoint in ongoing tensions between California state officials and federal authorities under the current administration.
Broader Context and Political Dimensions
Dr. Oz's video appears connected to a wider Trump administration initiative to highlight fraud nationwide. This follows similar controversies involving allegations against Somali-run day care centres in Minneapolis that prompted significant immigration enforcement actions and widespread protests.
Governor Newsom acknowledged during the week that hospice fraud exists in California but emphasised the state has been actively addressing the issue for years. He noted signing legislation in 2021 to halt new hospice licenses over fraud concerns and revealed the state has revoked more than 280 hospice licenses recently, with another 300 currently under investigation.
"We've identified and cracked down on hospice fraud for years, taking real action to protect patients and taxpayers," Newsom stated in an official release.
Geographic and Historical Sensitivities
In his video, Dr. Oz specifically highlighted Armenian script on business signs while the camera focused on the bakery, commenting, "You notice the lettering and language behind me is of that dialect." Dr. Oz's parents emigrated to the United States from Turkey, adding another layer to the controversy.
Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America, criticised Dr. Oz's comments as invoking "easy stereotypes" about California's substantial Armenian community. More than 200,000 people of Armenian descent reside in Los Angeles County, where April is celebrated as Armenian History Month, with significant communities in areas including Little Armenia and Glendale.
Hamparian expressed particular concern about Dr. Oz's connections to Turkey, a nation whose government does not acknowledge the Armenian genocide committed by Ottoman Empire forces in the early twentieth century. "Things have been dealt with at the state level, prosecutions have been made," Hamparian stated. "But Dr. Oz is taking this in an entirely destructive direction by scapegoating, by fear-mongering, by staging the theatric collective indictment of all Armenians."
Ongoing Political Tensions
This dispute adds to numerous conflicts between Newsom, widely viewed as a potential Democratic presidential candidate for 2028, and the Republican administration of President Donald Trump. Previous clashes have involved issues ranging from federal National Guard deployments in Los Angeles to attempts to block California's pioneering 2035 ban on new petrol-powered vehicles.
Neither Dr. Oz nor CMS immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the complaint or the video's content, and they have not publicly provided detailed evidence supporting the fraud allegations mentioned in the social media post.
