An advocacy group is accusing Republican Pennsylvania Senate candidate, Dr. Mehmet Oz, of violating foreign agent registration laws for his work with Turkish Airlines, according to a report.
The New York Post reported Wednesday that the Armenian National Committee of America requested in a letter to the Justice Department (DOJ) that Oz be investigated for filming promotional videos for Turkish Airlines, which is 49.12 percent owned by the Turkish government.
The Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) requires that persons who engage in specified activities in the U.S. on behalf of a foreign principal register with and disclose those activities to the DOJ.
“Dr. Oz clearly serves as a foreign agent on behalf of the foreign principal Turkish Airlines,” Armenian National Committee of America Executive Director Aram Hamparian wrote in a letter Tuesday to the DOJ, according to the Post.
“These campaigns constituted informational materials disseminated in interstate commerce by the foreign agent on behalf of the foreign principal but did not include the conspicuous statement labeling them accordingly as is required by the statute,” he wrote.
Hamparian wrote that in 2017, Oz “collaborated with Turkish Airlines on its ‘Fly Good Feel Good’ project, which was designed to provide an even more comfortable and healthy travel experience to its passengers.'”
“More recently, Dr. Oz appeared in an advertising campaign for Turkish Airlines including in a four-minute informational video offering a medical seal of approval to the airline’s COVID-19 safety procedures,” he added.
Hamparian argued that Oz may be eligible for up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The DOJ must act to protect “our nation’s national security interests,” Hamparian told the Post.
Oz campaign Communication Director Brittany Yanick told the Post that other celebrities filmed promotional videos for the airline.
“Like many other well-known people, Dr. Oz was in promotional videos for the airline,” she said. “Other spokespeople for Turkish Airlines included Morgan Freeman and Ben Affleck. Like Dr. Oz, they were not required to register under FARA.”
She called the accusations against Oz a ridiculous “political hit,” adding:
Individuals and firms working to advance the bona fide commercial interests of a foreign business are not subject to FARA and not required to register. DOJ has repeatedly recognized this longstanding exemption under the law including in several recent advisory opinions.
However, former DOJ official David Laufman told the Post it would be “appropriate for [the Justice Department] to undertake logical, analytical and investigative steps to determine whether Dr. Oz acted as a public relations counsel or publicity agent in the United States on behalf of Turkish Airlines.”
Kaufman said if he did, he would “likely have an obligation to register” unless he qualified for an exemption. He told the outlet:
In my experience, a foreign government ownership interest as high as 49.12 percent would contribute to a conclusion by the Justice Department that otherwise registrable work on behalf of that entity in the United States — such as public relations work — likely would not qualify for the [commercial] exemption because the activities would directly promote the public or political interests of the foreign government.
The Justice Department declined to comment, according to the Post.
Oz holds American and Turkish citizenship, the latter of which he said he would give up if he is elected.
Oz faces Republican primary opponent David McCormick, a former hedge fund manager.
Trump endorsed Oz last month, although McCormick was considered for several positions in the Trump administration.
ANCA Letter to DoJ FARA Unit May 3 2022 by Kristina Wong on Scribd
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