Obama Citizenship

Certifigate: HI DoH Stalls on Legitimate Records Request

By Phil

First, attorney Leo Donofrio reported that he and “TerriK” are working on finding the basis for how Hawaii Director of Health Dr. Chiyome Fukino could proclaim that Mr. Obama is a natural born citizen (here’s a current follow up as of 9/29). I then followed up with Mr. John Carlton’s Post & Email coverage of a second potential threat of litigation against the DoH. This was followed by a press admission that there is no long form birth certificate as well as my theory that Dr. Fukino could be basing her proclamation on an already-public document, the DNC eligibility certification and nomination paper that was transmitted to Hawaii.

And now The Right Side of Life can reveal that another concerned citizen has claimed to issue a legitimate records request regarding a search on their genealogical past with the President.

This citizen, whom I’ll call “SueB,” has now awaited more than 6 months to hear any sort of reply — even a conclusive rejection — from the HI DoH. Here is a general overview of what has transpired with their story:

http://hawaii.gov/health/vital-records/vital-records/elig_vrcc.html states that certified copies of vital records are issued only to someone who “has a direct and tangible interest in the record.”  The DOH considers that “a person having a common ancestor with the registrant (e.g., a sibling, grandparent, aunt/uncle, or cousin)” has such an interest.

Obama and I share common ancestors several generations back, thus are distant cousins.  The web site does not state how close the relationship must be, nor does it give a limitation, for instance, that the common ancestor must be within x generations.
A genealogist compiled Obama’s genealogy and uploaded it to the internet.  http://www.wargs.com/political/obama.html

Upon reviewing that genealogy, I noted that we had common ancestors in the 1600’s.  I expected that the DOH might ask more specifics about our common ancestors and then determine I did not have a “tangible” interest in the record, but decided to try anyway, to see what would happen.

The links to applications for certificates are here:  http://hawaii.gov/health/vital-records/vital-records/vital_records.html
…

In the space for “Relationship of requestor to person named on certificate” I put cousin.  For “Reason for this request” I put “family genealogy,” I believe.  I included a money order for $50 for the 5 certificates ($10 each).  The applications were sent in mid-Feb. 2009.

When I did not receive any response by July, I sent an email to the vital records dept.  They forwarded my email to “Issuance.”  About 2 weeks later I did not have a response and emailed again.  This time the reply was that my email and request had been forwarded to the chief of the office.  Over a month later I still do not have a response.

Here was “SueB’s” initial email response to the Department:

Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:50:36 -0400
To: vr-info@doh.hawaii.gov
From: ["SueB"]
Subject: copies of vital records

In mid-February I sent off a request for vital records for genealogical purposes, with a money order for $50, for the following persons:
Stanley Armour Dunham, death cert.
Stanley Ann Dunham, death cert.
Stanley Ann Dunham and Barack Obama, marriage cert.
Barack Obama, Jr., birth cert.
Maya Soetoro, birth cert.
I am preparing a family history book for my immediate family, and including a section on our connections to historical persons.  The Dunhams and our family have common ancestors.  Following the standards of genealogical documentation, I want to confirm the connections, rather than accept someone’s “say-so” that could be inaccurate.

To date I have not received any acknowledgment of my requests nor other communication, nor have I received the certificates.  It has been over five months, and although I understand that genealogical requests have lowest priority, this long wait seems excessive.  I have requested certificates from other states, and have never had to wait this long.  Even requests to the National Archives have taken only 2-3 months to receive the requested records.

I would like to know when I can expect to receive these certificates.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,
["SueB"] [emphasis mine]

It is interesting to note — via my emboldened verbiage — that “SueB” had not had to wait nearly as long from other States and that even the National Archives produced a very timely response to her request. Rather, as they had mentioned, above, the following email is the only official correspondence received regarding this issue:

X-Envelope-From: vr-info@doh.hawaii.gov
From: “vr-info”
To: ["SueB"]
Subject: Re: Fw: copies of vital records
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:21:59 -1000

Hi Sue,

I have forwarded your email and request to the chief of our office.

Aloha,

kd

Accordingly, “SueB” mentioned that they intend to follow up with the State of Hawaii with US Mail and will continue contacting the State until they either get the requested information, receive a rejection notice or a full refund of monies paid for copies of the information.

To date, this appears to be the first known case where someone with a legitimate claim regarding vital documentation of Mr. Obama is making such a request via the HI DoH. I will certainly be keeping in touch with “SueB” to see what follow up correspondence will produce.

See the following links regarding the eligibility saga:

• The background:
  • Obama?s Presidential Eligibility: What You Need to Know
  • Obama’s Sealed Background Documentation
  • Obama Citizenship Facts
  • What’s the Difference Between a Birth Certification Versus a Birth Certificate
• The questions:
  • Leo Donofrio Affirms FightTheSmears.com?s Obama Citizenship Admission
  • Fallible FactCheck.org: TheBirthers, Donofrio Cause Change on Obama Citizenship
  • Newsmax.com: Obama Birth Certificate Not Released
  • Keyes v. Lingle: Forensic Examiner and IT Expert Disprove Certification of Live Birth
  • The State Department and Sen. Patrick Leahy’s (D-VT) Natural Born Citizen Resolution (April 10, 2008)
  • Citizen Grand Jury Updates and Eligibility Lawsuit Listing

-Phil

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Full post as published by The Right Side of Life on September 29, 2009 (boomark / email).