The head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services posted a video exposing alleged government funding fraud in Los Angeles, and the Democratic governor instead opened an investigation into the “racially charged” allegations.
CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz posted a video on his Instagram account showing businesses in Van Nuys that he suspected were fronts for criminal activity and fraud.
‘Given the historic sensitivities involved, we are taking these allegations seriously. Any and all acts of hate have no place in California.’
“What we have learned, there’s roughly $3.5 billion of fraud taking place here in Los Angeles, in hospice and home care,” Oz said. “It’s run, quite a bit of it, by the Russian-Armenian mafia; you notice the lettering and language behind me.”
He called L.A. County the “epicenter” for health care fraud in America.
“Criminals have corrupted the system so much that fraud is now almost expected,” he added. “President Trump has made it clear: We will not tolerate the patient harm or taxpayer funded theft any longer. More to come.”
However, the targeting of Armenian business owners by Oz, who is Turkish-American, led many to believe they were being racially discriminated against.
Rather than look into the claims of fraud, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said he would investigate Dr. Oz.
“Our office is reviewing reports that Dr. Mehmet Oz targeted the Armenian American community in Southern California recently — making racially charged claims of fraud outside Armenian-owned businesses, including a popular bakery,” he posted on social media.
“Given the historic sensitivities involved, we are taking these allegations seriously,” he added. “Any and all acts of hate have no place in California.”
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Newsom was referring to hostility between Armenians and Turkish people over the 1.5 million Armenians that were killed beginning in 1915 by the Ottoman Empire, which is now Turkey.
Dr. Oz fired back at the governor.
“If there were a real defense for California’s fraud crisis, we’d hear it. CMS and law enforcement will keep doing the actual work: going after fraudsters, period.”
Garen Janbachian with the Armenian National Committee of America told KNBC-TV that the community was outraged that Oz was singling them out, and they denied allegations of fraud.
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