TAAL CONDEMNS DR. MEHMET OZ FOR ANTI-ARMENIAN DEFAMATION, DISINFORMATION, AND SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT RHETORIC

 

Oz’s Cultural Ignorance, History of Medical Misinformation, and Hypocritical Silence on Massive U.S. Healthcare Fraud Expose Bigotry Disguised as Accountability

 

 

 

Los Angeles — Truth And Accountability League (TAAL) begins with a basic factual correction that should embarrass any public figure claiming authority on international or ethnic matters: Armenian is not a Cyrillic language. Armenian has its own unique alphabet, created in the 5th century and used continuously for more than 1,600 years, predating Cyrillic itself. Confusing Armenian identity with Cyrillic is not a harmless slip; it reflects a profound lack of cultural literacy that too often accompanies stereotyping.

 

We unequivocally condemn the defamatory and ethnically charged rhetoric used by Dr. Mehmet Oz that singles out Armenians in the context of alleged criminal activity. Associating an entire people with fraud is irresponsible, inaccurate, and dangerous. This kind of language echoes long-standing patterns of scapegoating that Armenians, as a historically targeted community, know all too well.

 

What makes these remarks especially egregious is the hypocrisy behind them. Dr. Oz has a well-documented history of promoting scientifically unsupported health claims and products, many of which have been scrutinized by Congress, regulators, and the courts. His record includes promoting so-called “miracle” supplements later tied to FTC settlements, Senate hearings criticizing the harm caused to consumers, and repeated rebukes from medical professionals for prioritizing spectacle over evidence. This history raises serious questions about credibility when he now claims the mantle of accountability.

 

Equally troubling is selective focus. While invoking Armenians rhetorically, Dr. Oz ignores the reality that some of the largest healthcare fraud cases in recent U.S. history have occurred elsewhere. In New York (2024–2025) alone, authorities uncovered a $68 million adult day care fraud scheme, a multi-defendant Medicare conspiracy exceeding $10.6 billion, and a $5.2 million hospice billing settlement, among other cases. Florida has likewise been the epicenter of massive hospice and Medicare fraud for years. These are systemic crimes involving corporations, executives, and organized networks — not ethnic communities.

 

Moreover, federal law enforcement has recently pursued high-profile international corruption and fraud cases, including indictments and arrests tied to defense contracting and financial schemes involving individuals connected to Turkey. These cases underscore a simple truth: fraud is institutional and systemic, not ethnic. Choosing to spotlight Armenians while ignoring far larger, documented cases elsewhere is not accountability; it is narrative manipulation.

 

TAAL calls this what it is: anti-Armenian stereotyping dressed up as enforcement rhetoric. Public officials and media figures have a duty to speak with precision, evidence, and fairness. Scapegoating an entire people while ignoring vastly larger, substantiated fraud cases undermines public trust and fuels prejudice.

 

Accountability begins with facts, consistency, and cultural competence. Anything less is disinformation — and TAAL will continue to challenge it wherever it appears.