Newsom Files Civil Rights Complaint Against Dr. Oz Over Fraud Video

California governor accuses federal health official of making "racially charged and false" statements about Armenian Americans

Jan. 29, 2026 at 9:07pm

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Governor Gavin Newsom of California has filed a civil rights complaint against Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, over a video in which Dr. Oz appeared to tie the Armenian American community in Southern California to health care fraud. Newsom's office charged that Dr. Oz's "racially charged and false public statements" could chill participation in federal health care programs by individuals targeted by the statements and reflected "discriminatory animus" in how fraud investigations are conducted.

Why it matters

The video has generated intense backlash in the Armenian American community of Los Angeles, with business owners denying any involvement in fraud. Newsom's complaint highlights ongoing tensions between the Armenian and Turkish communities, as well as concerns about how federal health care fraud investigations may unfairly target certain ethnic groups.

The details

In the video, Dr. Oz stood outside a bakery in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles and claimed that about $3.5 billion worth of fraud had taken place in hospice and home care in the area, asserting that the fraud "is run, quite a bit of it, by the Russian Armenian mafia." The video is part of a Trump administration initiative that has alleged fraud in social services in Democratic-led states. Hospice fraud investigations and prosecutions have been ongoing for years in California, but Newsom's office said Dr. Oz's comments had already harmed the businesses featured, with the bakery reporting a 30% drop in sales.

  • On Tuesday, Dr. Oz posted the video on official government social media accounts.
  • On Thursday, Governor Newsom filed a formal civil rights complaint against Dr. Oz.

The players

Gavin Newsom

The governor of California who filed the civil rights complaint against Dr. Oz.

Dr. Mehmet Oz

The administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services who posted the video that accused Armenian Americans in California of health care fraud.

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What they’re saying

“You notice the lettering and language behind me is of that dialect.”

— Dr. Mehmet Oz (nytimes.com)

“If there were a real defense for California's fraud crisis, we'd hear it.”

— Dr. Mehmet Oz (nytimes.com)

What’s next

The Department of Health and Human Services will conduct a federal civil rights investigation into Dr. Oz's comments, as requested by Governor Newsom's office.

The takeaway

This case highlights ongoing tensions between the Armenian and Turkish communities, as well as concerns about how federal health care fraud investigations may unfairly target certain ethnic groups. It also raises questions about the politicization of fraud allegations and the potential for such statements to harm local businesses and communities.