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FIRST ON FOX: Pennsylvania Republican senatorial candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz this week disavowed a series of columns bearing his byline arguing for gun control in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Oz's byline previously appeared in a series of articles in his "YouDocs" syndicated column co-authored with business partner Dr. Michael Roizen.
At various points in the column's run, notably from 2017 to 2019, the articles praised or advocated a variety of gun control legislation initiatives, including assault weapons bans, red flag laws, New Zealand-style gun buyback programs, universal gun purchaser licensing and mandatory waiting periods.
Roizen produced a letter to Fox News Digital in which he stated Oz's involvement in the columns was minimal due to other media commitments.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, Republican Senate candidate for Pennsylvania, speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. (Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"Dr. Oz and I have been media partners for almost 20 years, including our best-selling YOU books. We started working on a daily "YouDocs" newspaper column in 2007. When Dr. Oz shifted his focus to launch his show in 2009, I took over the sole management of this daily column," Roizen wrote.
Roizen went on to state that there were "several columns" where he failed to clarify that the text reflected only his own opinion. Roizen's letter did not specify which or how many columns were erroneously attributed to both doctors, but sought to "acknowledge periodic errors."
"When controversial topics arose, we were supposed to debate options. If we disagreed on an editorial direction, I would specify that ‘Dr. Roizen’ felt a certain way. We have found several columns where this process was not followed, I write to ensure that our agreement is part of the public record and acknowledge periodic errors," Roizen concluded.
Oz has branded himself as a pro-gun Republican since the beginning of his campaign, and reiterated his support for the Second Amendment in a statement to Fox News Digital about the columns.
"Dr. Oz believes every law-abiding American should be allowed to buy a gun of their choice and he will support legislation in the U.S. Senate that protects our right to keep and bear arms. He does not support any measures that infringe on the Second Amendment and will oppose them," Oz's campaign told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement.
The campaign for Dave McCormick, a Republican running against Oz, argued to Fox News Digital that the columns reflect a larger trend of anti-gun rhetoric from the Oz camp.
"Mehmet Oz has a long public record and history of being enthusiastically anti-Second Amendment. He has supported red flag laws and sided with extreme left gun grabbers to try to take away guns from Americans. Now Mehmet is hoping PA voters will forget he is anti-gun and the fact he will not support our constitutional right," said Jess Szymanski, McCormick's communications director in an exclusive statement.
However, Oz's campaign pointed to his years of gun ownership as proof of his support of the Second Amendment, and took the opportunity to accuse McCormick of accepting money from "pro-gun control advocates."
"Dr. Oz has been a proud gun owner for many years and he is a firm believer in the Second Amendment," said the Oz campaign. "It’s quite the contrast from David McCormick as his campaign is receiving millions of dollars by Clinton donors and pro-gun control advocates."
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Oz's previous statements on gun control raised eyebrows after his entry into the 2022 Senate race in Pennsylvania as a Republican candidate, though Oz now says he firmly supports gun rights.
Dr. Mehmet Oz has disavowed pro-gun control columns that appeared under his name. (Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Concordia Summit)
Oz previously voiced support for "red flag" laws, which would allow the government to confiscate guns from individuals without proof of malicious intent.
"Part of the hope, I gather, is that we'll make a system so that I can call in and say, 'There's evidence besides my testimony that this person is dangerous. Look at their Facebook feed or social media postings. Or comments they've made to coworkers beside me. Do a little investigating. I'm alerting you, putting a little red flag up there saying this person is a concern,'" Oz told the audience on a previous episode of his show.
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