California Governor Demands Civil Rights Investigation Into CMS Administrator
California Governor Gavin Newsom has formally requested a civil rights investigation into Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), over allegations of discriminatory remarks against the Armenian community. The complaint, filed on Thursday, centres on a social media video posted by Oz that discussed hospice fraud in Los Angeles while standing in front of an Armenian bakery.
Allegations of Racial Stereotyping in Fraud Discussion
In the controversial video, Oz claimed that approximately $3.5 billion in hospice and home care fraud has occurred in Los Angeles, suggesting that "quite a bit of it" was operated by what he described as "the Russian Armenian mafia." The footage shows Oz in the Van Nuys neighbourhood, pointing to a four-block radius containing 42 hospices as potential evidence of fraudulent activity. He specifically referenced a business allegedly involved in a $16 million fraud scheme while the camera focused on Armenian script displayed on local business signs.
Newsom's office has strongly condemned these statements, arguing in their complaint that Oz "spewed baseless and racially charged allegations" that risk discouraging Armenian community participation in legitimate hospice and home care programmes. The governor's complaint further asserts that the video has "already caused real-world harm" by negatively impacting business at the Armenian bakery featured in the footage.
Community Backlash and Historical Context
Movses Bislamyan, whose family-owned bakery appears in Oz's video, expressed confusion and frustration about the targeting of Armenians. "Mafia? There is no Armenian mafia going on here. We're just hardworking business owners. I don't understand why he's mentioning just Armenians," Bislamyan told local television station KABC-TV.
Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America, criticised Oz's comments for invoking "easy stereotypes" about the Armenian community, which has deep historical roots in California. Hamparian also raised concerns about Oz's connections to Turkey, noting that the Turkish government does not acknowledge the Armenian genocide carried out by Ottoman Empire forces in the early 1900s.
"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."
California's Existing Fraud Crackdown Efforts
Governor Newsom acknowledged that hospice fraud exists in California but emphasised the state's ongoing efforts to address the issue. He noted that he signed legislation in 2021 to halt new hospice licenses due to fraud concerns and revealed that California has revoked more than 280 hospice licenses in recent years. Another 300 hospices are currently under investigation for potential fraudulent activities.
"We've identified and cracked down on hospice fraud for years, taking real action to protect patients and taxpayers," Newsom declared in an official statement. The state government has not yet provided a comprehensive list of businesses that have had their licenses revoked.
Broader Political Context and Administration Response
This controversy represents another chapter in the ongoing political feud between Newsom, widely considered a potential Democratic presidential candidate for 2028, and the Republican administration of President Donald Trump. The two sides have previously clashed on multiple issues, including federal National Guard deployments in Los Angeles and attempts to block California's pioneering 2035 ban on new petrol-powered vehicles.
Oz's video appears to align with a broader Trump administration initiative to highlight fraud nationwide, following similar allegations involving day care centres operated by Somali residents in Minneapolis that prompted significant immigration enforcement actions and widespread protests.
Neither Oz nor CMS officials have responded to requests for comment regarding the civil rights complaint or the specific content of the video. They have not publicly shared detailed information about the fraud allegations mentioned in the footage.
The Armenian community represents a significant demographic presence in Southern California, with estimates suggesting more than 200,000 people of Armenian descent reside in Los Angeles County alone. The area celebrates Armenian History Month each April, features a neighbourhood known as Little Armenia, and counts the suburban city of Glendale as a major community centre located approximately 15 miles from where Oz recorded his video.
