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Orly Taitz

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Orly Taitz
A photograph of a blond-haired, brown-eyed, middle-aged woman in a blue blouse speaking into a microphone.
Orly Taitz in 2008
Born (1960-08-30) August 30, 1960 (age 63)
Kishinev, Moldavian SSR, USSR[1]
CitizenshipAmerican[2]
Alma materHebrew University, Taft Law School
Occupation(s)Dentist, lawyer, real estate agent
Known forFiling lawsuits challenging Barack Obama's eligibility to serve as President of the United States
Political partyRepublican [3]
SpouseYosef Taitz
Children3 sons[4][5][6]
Websitewww.orlytaitzesq.com

Orly Taitz (born August 30, 1960) is an American dentist, lawyer,[7][8] and leading figure in the "birther" movement, which challenges whether Barack Obama is a natural-born citizen eligible to serve as President of the United States. She also promotes a number of other allegations both related and unrelated to Obama, and has initiated a number of lawsuits on behalf of the "birther" movement.

Biography

Orly Taitz was born to a Jewish family in Chişinău, Moldavian SSR in the Soviet Union (present day Moldova)[6]. Her parents were both science teachers.[9] In 1981, she immigrated to Israel[1], where Orly obtained a dentistry degree at Hebrew University.[1] In 1987, she met Yosef Taitz who proposed four months later. Orly immigrated to the United States in May 1987, marrying the Latvian-born[9] Yosef in Las Vegas, Nevada.[6] Taitz became a United States citizen in 1992.[2] She received her law degree from Taft Law School (an online California law school not accredited by the American Bar Association or the State Bar of California)[9][10] and passed the California bar exam in 2002.[11]

Taitz lives in Laguna Niguel, California[12] and owns dental practices in nearby Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita.[6] She has three sons,[6] holds a second degree black belt in Taekwondo, and speaks five languages: English, Hebrew, Romanian, Russian and Spanish.[7][13][14]

Before her national news exposure, Taitz was quoted in the Orange County Register in 2006 supporting Israeli military actions against Hamas and Hezbollah,[15] and downplaying the impact of the espionage trial of two American Israel Public Affairs Committee staffers[16] (charges against both were subsequently dropped).[17] Taitz has also said that she lost relatives in the Holocaust and that her grandmother witnessed the Kishinev Pogrom.[13][18]

Activities

Taitz's claims regarding Barack Obama

Main article: Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories

Taitz alleges that U.S. President Barack Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States and is therefore not eligible to serve as President. She claims he was born in Kenya, his father's country, and that he falsified his Selective Service papers and his application to the Illinois bar.[19] "I believe [Obama] is the most dangerous thing one can imagine, in that he represents radical communism and radical Islam: He was born and raised in radical Islam, all of his associations are with radical Islam, and he was groomed in the environment of the dirty Chicago mafia. Can there be anything scarier than that?"[20]

Taitz has made other Obama-related claims, including:

  • A number of homosexuals from Obama's former church have died mysteriously.
  • Obama has dozens of Social Security Numbers, and his passport is inaccurate. Taitz claims that a person who was cooperating with the FBI in connection with Obama's passport died mysteriously, "shot in the head."
  • A Kenyan birth certificate with the name "Barack Obama" is authentic.
  • Obama's first act as President was to donate money to Hamas, which she claims will be used to build Qassam rockets.
  • Obama, or someone connected to him, has made threats to Taitz's life and vandalized her car.[18]
  • Obama is having the Federal Emergency Management Agency build internment camps for "Anti-Obama dissidents."[13]

Taitz's other claims

Taitz has also supported a number of other theories not directly related to Obama, including:

Taitz has also advocated numerous Internet-related theories, including PayPal attacks, the deletion of her Wikipedia entry, and Google's flagging her webpage as an attack site and suppressing search results for her name.[18]

Keyes v. Bowen

In November 2008, Taitz filed a lawsuit on behalf of independent presidential candidate Alan Keyes, suing California's secretary of state for allegedly failing to ascertain Obama's eligibility for president before placing him on the ballot.[1] The case was dismissed on May 4, 2009,[21] and the appeal is currently pending in the California Court of Appeal.

Lightfoot v. Bowen

Taitz filed an emergency petition in the California Supreme Court in 2008 on behalf of Libertarian vice presidential candidate Gail Lightfoot in order to urge the court to stop the certification of California's 2008 election results. The California Supreme Court denied the petition, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case.[1]

Barnett v. Obama

Taitz filed a lawsuit on behalf of Pamela Barnett, Keyes, other candidates in the 2008 federal elections, several military personnel, and some legislators from various states. On October 29, 2009, U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter dismissed the lawsuit.[22] The dismissal criticized Taitz’s legal abilities, stated her behavior was unethical, and suggested that Taitz had suborned perjury.[23] The appeal of this suit is currently pending in the 9th Circuit.

Cook v. Good

Taitz represented Stefan F. Cook, a Major in the United States Army Reserve, who challenged his order to be deployed to Afghanistan because of his claim that Obama is not a legitimate president. The case was dismissed when the Army Reserve revoked his order to deploy.[24] Taitz filed an appeal in the 11th Circuit, which was dismissed due to a failure to prosecute the appeal.

Taitz also sought to represent Cook in a lawsuit against his employer, Simtech. In this suit, Cook alleged his security clearance was revoked due to his filing of the first lawsuit, and that this loss of his security clearance cost him his job.[25] Cook's suit against Simtech (and others) was dismissed within days of its filing.

Rhodes v. MacDonald

In September 2009, Taitz was retained by Captain Connie Rhodes, a US Army physician. Rhodes sought a restraining order to prevent her forthcoming deployment to Iraq. In the request for a restraining order, Taitz argued the order was illegal since Obama was illegally serving as President. On September 16, federal judge Clay D. Land rejected the motion and denounced it as frivolous. In his opinion, the judge noted that Rhodes had not previously raised any objections to orders she had received from Obama since he had been sworn in. He noted that while she seemed to have "conscientious objections" to taking orders from Obama, she did not seem to object to serving under him "as long as she is permitted to remain on American soil". Land then upbraided Taitz for using military officers as pawns to further her claims that Obama was not qualified to be President. He also expressed astonishment at Taitz' apparent misunderstanding of American judicial fundamentals, saying that she was trying to make Obama "'prove his innocence' to 'charges' that are based upon conjecture and speculation".[26]

Within hours of Land's decision, Taitz told the news site Talking Points Memo that she felt Land's refusal to hear her case was an act of treason.[27] Two days later, she filed a motion to stay Rhodes' deployment pending rehearing of the dismissal order. She repeated her treason allegations against Land and made several other intemperate statements, including claims that Land was aiding and abetting purported aspirations of "dictatorship" by Obama.[28] Land rejected the motion as frivolous and ordered her to show cause why she should not be fined $10,000 for abuse of judicial process.[29]

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

A few hours later, a letter bearing Rhodes's signature arrived, stating that Taitz filed the motion without her knowledge or consent, asking Land to remove Taitz as her attorney of record in the case, and stating that it was her "plan to file a complaint with the California State Bar due to [Taitz's] reprehensible and unprofessional actions."[30] On September 26, 2009, Taitz filed a motion with the court seeking to withdraw as counsel for Rhodes, so she could divulge in court "privileged attorney-client communications" since the dismissed Rhodes case "is now a quasi-criminal prosecution of the undersigned attorney, for the purpose of punishment."[31]

Attorney misconduct

On October 13, 2009, Judge Clay Land ordered "Counsel Orly Taitz ... to pay $20,000 to the United States, through the Middle District of Georgia Clerk's Office, within thirty days of the date of this Order as a sanction for her misconduct in violation of Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure." Land's decision stated:

The Court finds that counsel's conduct was willful and not merely negligent. It demonstrates bad faith on her part. As an attorney, she is deemed to have known better. She owed a duty to follow the rules and to respect the Court. Counsel's pattern of conduct conclusively establishes that she did not mistakenly violate a provision of law. She knowingly violated Rule 11. Her response to the Court's show cause order is breathtaking in its arrogance and borders on delusional. She expresses no contrition or regret regarding her misconduct. To the contrary, she continues her baseless attacks on the Court.[32]

Upon learning of Land's ruling, Taitz said she would appeal the sanction, declaring that Judge Land was "scared to go against the regime" of the "oppressive" Obama administration, and that the sanction was an attempt to "intimidate" her.[33] On March 15, 2010, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the sanctions against Taitz, ordering her to pay the $20,000 fine.[34]

In July 2010, Taitz applied to the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the enforcement of sanctions, arguing that "allowing sanctions by judge Land to stand, will signify beginning of tyranny in the United States of America and end to the Constitutional Republic which is the foundation of this nation."[35] The application was submitted to Justice Thomas on July 8 and denied by him on July 15.[36][37] Doubting that Justice Thomas signed the denial order, Taitz claims to have requested of Chief Justice Roberts that Thomas's signature be presented to her for verification.[38] In the meantime, on August 9, the federal government filed an “Abstract of Judgment,” a document placing a lien in the amount of $20,000 plus interest on all her real property,[39] prompting Taitz to say, “I will pay the money, and I will continue fighting,” should it happen that her application for stay is ultimately denied and that the Supreme Court consents to her request to authenticate Justice Thomas's signature.[40] On August 16, after being resubmitted to Justice Alito who in turn referred it to the full court, the application for stay was again denied.[37][41]

Taitz v. Obama

On January 27, 2010, Taitz, in propria persona, filed a petition for writ of quo warranto. On April 14, 2010, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Royce C. Lamberth dismissed the petition, and, alluding to Don Quixote, wrote, “The Court is not willing to go tilting at windmills with her."[42]

Activities in Israel

Taitz has also actively promoted her theories in Israel, where she claims that "the vast majority" of the population supports her views.[13] She has appeared on the Channel 10 nightly news show "London and Kirschenbaum", was the subject of a feature on Channel 1 TV, and filmed a video for the website Arutz 7. Israel's Russian language media, such as Channel 9 and Vesti, the country's largest Russian-language newspaper, have also covered Taitz.[13]

Candidacy for California Secretary of State

In March 2010, Taitz successfully qualified to run for the office of California Secretary of State. At the same time, she unsuccessfully challenged the eligibility of her Republican Party primary opponent, former NFL player Damon Dunn, claiming that he is pretending to be a Republican.[43] Dunn had registered as a Democrat in the state of Florida in 1999, but that registration had lapsed before he filed for the Republican primary.[44][45]

On May 12, 2010, Barnett (named plaintiff from Taitz's lawsuit Barnett v. Obama) filed a lawsuit in the Sacramento County Superior Court alleging that Dunn is not eligible to run for Secretary of State.[46]

Taitz was defeated by Dunn in the June 8 primary by a margin of about three to one,[47] losing by over 900,000 votes.[48]

On June 17, 2010, Taitz filed a lawsuit in the Orange County Superior Court contesting the election results, again alleging Dunn's ineligibility.[49]

In the media

Taitz received media attention in connection with Obama eligibility questions in late 2008.[50] She was interviewed by co-hosts David Shuster and Tamron Hall on MSNBC on August 3, 2009.[1] Various media outlets described her appearance on the network as an "implosion",[1][51] while Taitz asserted that Shuster, who is Jewish, was a "brownshirt", a charge she would repeat in a phone interview the following week.[18]

Bill O'Reilly, a commentator on Fox News Channel, called Taitz a "nut". In response, she and pastor James David Manning organized a protest outside Fox News headquarters in New York City in November, 2009, which drew an estimated 15 to 20 attendees.[52] In 2010, artist Dan Lacey produced a widely-discussed painting of a nude Orly Taitz giving birth to an object resembling a pancake; Taitz herself expressed outrage at the painting, and urged Lacey to reveal the identity of his sponsor. Lacey subsequently "revealed" that he had been funded by George Soros.[53][54]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Fletcher, Dan (August 10, 2009). "2 minute bio: Orly Taitz". Time Magazine. Retrieved 2009-08-10.
  2. ^ a b Wisckol, Martin (2009-10-23). "Orly Taitz: natural-born litigator". The Orange County Register.
  3. ^ Condon, Stephanie (June 9, 2010). "In California Elections, Whitman, Fiorina Win; Orly Taitz Falls Short". CBS News. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  4. ^ "30 Graduate From Tarbut V'Torah". Orange County Register. June 5, 2007. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
  5. ^ "Taitz vs Haas". Orange County Superior Court case 06CC03941. March 9, 2006. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
  6. ^ a b c d e Hoffman, Alice (July 28, 2009). "In Doubt's Shadow: Soviet Jewish Emigré Orly Taitz is the 'Queen Bee' of the 'Birther' Movement". Tablet Magazine. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
  7. ^ a b Taitz, Orly. "Dr. Orly Taitz Esquire". Retrieved 2009-08-11.
  8. ^ Kornhaber, Spencer (June 17, 2009). "Meet Orly Taitz, Queen Bee of People Obsessed With Barack Obama's Birth Certificate". OC Weekly. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
  9. ^ a b c Wisckol, Martin (October 26, 2009). "'Queen of the Birthers': Attorney gains notoriety for strange challenges of Obama's citizenship". Orange County Register. Retrieved August 15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  10. ^ "Unaccredited Law Schools in California". The State Bar of California. September 25, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
  11. ^ "State Bar of California Profile for Orly Taitz". The State Bar of California. December 3, 2002. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  12. ^ Coker, Matt (July 23, 2009). "Daily Show's Jon Stewart Eviscerates Birthers, Orly Taitz, Lou Dobbs and Especially Congressman John Campbell". OC Weekly. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
  13. ^ a b c d e Hartman, Benjamin L. (August 18, 2009). "Orly Taitz: Obama Policies are 'Clear and Present Danger to Israel'". Haaretz. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  14. ^ "Arianna Huffington". The Colbert Report. 2009-07-28. Comedy Central.
  15. ^ Martindale, Scott (July 24, 2006). "Showing their support for Israel". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
  16. ^ Fingerhut, Eric (March 8, 2006). "Trial Doesn't Worry Many AIPAC Delegates". Washington Jewish Week. Retrieved 2009-08-13. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ Zakaria, Tabassum (May 1, 2009). "U.S. to drop Israel lobbyist spy case". Reuters UK. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  18. ^ a b c d e f Winant, Gabriel (August 13, 2009). "What Orly Taitz believes". Salon. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
  19. ^ Kennedy, Wally (July 27, 2009). "Lamar lawmaker, House leader from Joplin at odds on matter". Joplin Globe. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
  20. ^ a b c d Richardson, John H. (August 11, 2009). "What Really Happens When You Demand the President Produce His Birth Certificate?". Esquire. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
  21. ^ "Keyes v. Bown Judgment Dismissing Costs Awarded". Supreme Court of California. March 13, 2009. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  22. ^ Kornhaber, Spencer (November 9, 2009). "Orly Taitz Motion Says Local Judge Wants to Lynch Her". Orange County Weekly. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  23. ^ Kornhaber, Spencer (October 29, 2009). "The Greatest Hits of the Taitz Dismissal". Orange County Weekly. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  24. ^ Knorr, Alyse (July 16, 2009). "Soldier's suit against Obama presidency dismissed". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  25. ^ Weigel, David (July 15, 2009). "Birther Soldier Fired From His Civilian Defense Contracting Job". The Washington Independent. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  26. ^ Rhodes vs. MacDonald CASE NO. 4:09-CV-106, Middle District of Georgia(CDL)
  27. ^ Justin Elliott (September 16, 2009). "Birther Orly Taitz Compares Self To Mandela, Wants Judge Tried For Treason". Talking Points Memo.
  28. ^ Motion for stay of Connie Rhodes' deployment
  29. ^ Justin Elliott (September 18, 2009). "Judge Clay Land v. Orly Taitz, Part II". TPM Muckraker.
  30. ^ Alan Riquelmy (September 19, 2009). "Letter signed Capt. Connie Rhodes says she had never agreed to an appeal, says Rhodes will file complaint against attorney Orly Taitz". Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.
  31. ^ Justin Elliott (September 28, 2009). "New Filing From Birther Taitz: Case Is Now A 'Quasi-Criminal Prosecution' Of Me!". Talking Points Memo.
  32. ^ Bookman, Jay (2009-10-13). "Judge Land's hard on Orly Taitz, Esq. It'll cost her $20,000". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  33. ^ Wisckol, Martin (2009-10-16). "Lawyer Orly Taitz tries patience of federal court". The Orange County Register.
  34. ^ Alan Riquelmy (March 15, 2010). "11th Circuit Court of Appeals: Attorney Orly Taitz must pay $20,000 in sanctions". Ledger-Enquirer.
  35. ^ Freddoso, David (July 8, 2010). "Birther appeals her $20k fine for frivolous suits". The San Francisco Examiner.
  36. ^ Alan Riquelmy (August 4, 2010). "'Birther' attorney Orly Taitz continues fight against $20K in sanctions". Ledger-Enquirer.
  37. ^ a b "Orly Taitz, Applicant v. Thomas D. MacDonald, Colonel Garrison Commander, Fort Benning, et al". Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  38. ^ Wisckol, Martin (July 21, 2010). "Obama birth lawyer suspects judicial hankypanky". Orange County Register. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  39. ^ Alan Riquelmy (August 9, 2010). "Court filing creates lien on property belonging to 'birther' attorney Orly Taitz". Ledger-Enquirer.
  40. ^ Alan Riquelmy (August 10, 2010). "Government files lien against property of 'birther' attorney Orly Taitz; attorney says she will pay". Ledger-Enquirer.
  41. ^ "Court Won't Block Fine in 'Birther' Case". New York Times. August 16, 2010.
  42. ^ Wisckol, Martin (April 16, 2010). "Birthplace lawyer has another suit dismissed". Orange County Register. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  43. ^ Mehta, Seema (April 13, 2010). "Activist who challenges Obama's citizenship is booted from Tax Day Tea Party". Los Angeles Times. p. 2. Retrieved 4 May 2010. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  44. ^ David Weigel (March 10, 2010). "Orly Taitz Challenges the Eligibility of an African-American Politician". The Washington Independent. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  45. ^ Kornhaber, Spencer (March 8, 2010). "Orly Taitz's Claims About Damon Dunn's Eligilibity: False!". OC Weekly blogs. Retrieved 4 May 2010. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  46. ^ Wisckol, Martin (May 12, 2010). "Lawsuit would benefit Obama birthplace lawyer". Orange County Register. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  47. ^ "Mercury News (AP): "Dunn to face Bowen for Calif secretary of state."". Mercury News. June 8, 2010. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  48. ^ California Secretary of State's website. Accessed June 21, 2010.
  49. ^ Kornhaber, Spencer (July 1, 2010). "UPDATED: Orly Taitz Continues Jihad Against Damon Dunn (And, Now, Us)". Orange County Weekly. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  50. ^ Madden, Mike (December 8, 2008). "The Born Conspiracy". Salon. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
  51. ^ Orr, Jimmy (August 3, 2009). "Birther leader Orly Taitz implodes on MSNBC". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
  52. ^ Koppelman, Alex (November 11, 2009), "Taitz's protest against Fox News falls flat", Salon, retrieved 2009-11-30
  53. ^ Kornhaber, Spencer (May 18, 2010). "Orly Taitz Pancake Painter Speaks". Orange County Weekly. Retrieved August 16, 2010.
  54. ^ Kornhaber, Spencer (July 6, 2010). "UPDATED: Orly Taitz Pancake Painter Promises to Reveal Reveals the Pancake Puppet Master". Orange County Weekly. Retrieved August 16, 2010.

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