— FOIA Request Seeks Evidence Behind Ethnic Scapegoating, Names of Officials Who Approved Post
WASHINGTON, DC — The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) demanding transparency on who approved CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz’s video posts scapegoating Armenian Americans and what evidence, if any, he relied upon to defame an entire community.
The FOIA demands all records behind Dr. Oz’s January 27–28, 2026 social media posts – including who wrote the scripts, who approved the content, what legal reviews were conducted, and what evidence, if any, supported the ethnic targeting of Armenian-owned businesses. The request also seeks records relating to any CMS or HHS investigations, audits, enforcement actions, or intelligence assessments allegedly cited as the basis for Dr. Oz’s claims.
“Dr. Oz used the power granted him as a public servant – the platforms available to him as an employee of the U.S. government – to scapegoat California Armenians, a community with deep roots, a proud legacy, a century-long record of remarkable achievement across the Golden State,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “As Americans we have the right to know what’s behind these reckless charges. What evidence, if any, he relied upon when defaming our community; who scripted this hateful video; and who, exactly, greenlighted it for posting on official U.S. government social media accounts. We deserve answers to each of these questions, and more.”
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The ANCA noted that Dr. Oz’s video was filmed during an official CMS fraud-prevention tour in Los Angeles’ Van Nuys neighborhood and posted through CMS-affiliated accounts. In the video, Dr. Oz claimed that “quite a bit” of hospice and home care fraud was run by the “Russian Armenian mafia,” while referencing Armenian-language signage and asserting it “highlights the fact that this is an organized crime mafia deal,” despite no verified evidence tying the featured Armenian bakery or surrounding community businesses to fraud.
ANCA’s FOIA request follows the organization’s January 30, 2026 civil-rights complaint to the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, alleging that Dr. Oz’s official conduct constitutes national origin discrimination and creates a hostile environment for Armenian Americans in federally assisted health programs. California Governor Gavin Newsom has publicly condemned the claims as “baseless and racially charged,” warning that such rhetoric targets Armenian Americans without substantiation and undermines trust in federally funded health services. He also filed a formal civil rights complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services. The FOIA filing adds legal pressure as U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) pledged to conduct oversight and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs called for accountability over Dr. Oz’s “racist” targeting of Armenian-owned businesses.
“Federal officials have a duty to prosecute crimes, not communities,” Hamparian added. “This FOIA will expose who scripted this hate, who approved it, and the full story behind Dr. Oz’s defamation of Armenian Americans.”
https://anca.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/020526_ANCA_FOIA_DrOz.pdf