Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., on Wednesday hinted at a hate-related probe into Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Director Dr. Mehmet Oz after he posted a video highlighting a fraud ring that he linked to the LA-based Russian-Armenian mafia.

"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," Newsom's office posted in a statement.
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Given the historic sensitivities involved, we are taking these allegations seriously.

Any and all acts of hate have no place in California."

The "historic sensitivities" appear to refer to Oz's Turkish birth. Turkey and Armenia have a long history of hostility, with the Armenian Genocide under the Ottoman Empire ranking among the most violent incidents. 

Oz, this week, posted a video documenting fraud allegations in the Los Angeles area that he linked to a Russian-Armenian syndicate.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.