Dr. Chiyome Fukino responds to my Obama birth certificate questions, "takes the Fifth"

On October 31, 2008, Dr. Chiyome Fukino, director of the Hawaii Department of Health, released a statement verifying that Barack Obama's birth certificate was on file in their records. However, despite what you might have heard, she did not verify that he was born in Hawaii. And, she did not verify that the certificate on file in Hawaii matches the "COLB" pictured on Obama's site and at FactCheck.

That hasn't stopped many people from assuming that she verified something she did not. See the obama citizenship summary for all the details.

I recently sent some questions to Dr. Fukino's office, and in her reply she basically "takes the Fifth". The questions and their reply are below. More on this tomorrow...

Here are the questions I sent them:

1. Did that statement (or any other official statement from the state government) confirm that Obama was born in Hawaii , as some have assumed?

2. Did that statement (or any other official statement from the state government) confirm that the certificate you have on file matches the one on Obama's website?

3. Is it illegal under Hawaii state law to confirm where Obama was born, or to confirm that the certificate you have on file matches the one on Obama's website?

And, here's the non-reply reply:

Dr. Fukino has said that her statement stands on its own, and she does not feel there is any need for further comment.

Hawaii State law protects the birth records of all individuals born in our state under all circumstances. State law prohibits the Department of Health from disclosing any information about a Hawaii vital record unless the requestor has a direct and tangible interest in the record. This includes verification of vital records and all the information contained in a record. Direct and tangible interest is determined by HRS §338-18(b). http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol06_Ch0321-0344/HRS0338/HRS_0338-0018.htm

For information on the law that governs vital records in the State of Hawaii , please refer to HRS §338 at http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/

Information on obtaining certified copies of vital records is available on the Hawaii DOH website at www.hawaii.gov/health

Janice Okubo
Communications Office
Hawaii State Department of Health

Politics · Thu, 12/11/2008 - 00:54 · · Importance: 22