PHOENIX – After determining earlier this year there is probable cause to suspect the document released by the White House as Barack Obama's birth certificate is a forgery, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said today he believes his Cold Case Posse's investigation should be advanced to the federal government, based on further information released today at a press conference under way now in Phoenix that is being live-streamed by WND.

Cold Case Posse lead investigator Mike Zullo said the new information confirms the document presented to the American public in April 2011 is undoubtedly fraudulent.

Watch the live stream of Sheriff Arpaio's press conference now. When you sign up for access, you'll receive a copy of the official press release distributed at the conference.



The Obama campaign declined to comment on Arpaio's allegations.

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Arpaio told WND he intends to move the investigation and the new information to a higher authority within the federal government because of what he calls an imminent threat to national security and U.S. immigration laws. The threat is posed by a flaw in Hawaii's law discovered by his investigators that allows a foreigner to obtain a Hawaii birth certificate.

"Although I am having a difficult time deciding who to forward this information to given the fact that the obvious choices report directly to the president, I cannot stand by and hold on to information that threatens to weaken national security," Arpaio said.

Arpaio said he intends on keeping a case file open if more information surfaces or if federal authorities decide to ignore the case.

Zullo explained that along with new information discovered regarding the birth certificate since the posse's March 1 press conference, his team has discovered Hawaii provides easy access to a birth certificate, even if the child wasn't born in the state.

Join with Sheriff Arpaio in his work to uncover the truth by donating to the Cold Case Posse expenses, or contribute to a fund that supports investigations by both WND and the sheriff.

Under Hawaii Revised Statute 338-17.8, a person only has to be an established resident of Hawaii, not necessarily a U.S. citizen, and pay taxes there for one year to be able to register an out-of-state or foreign-born person with an official Hawaii birth certificate.

“If a nation’s security is only as strong as its weakest link, then America may be in serious trouble," Arpaio said in a statement. "Hawaii may be our weakest link and could have a serious impact on our nation’s immigration policy."

Among the new findings presented by lead Cold Case Posse investigator Mike Zullo:

The sheriff's investigators have learned of a birth certificate coding system that indicates the White House document has been altered.

An interview with the Hawaii official who allegedly signed the Obama document in 1961, Verna K.L. Lee, provided further confirmation of the coding anomalies.

Investigators were troubled to find key information missing on the verification document Hawaii provided to Arizona's secretary of state in May.

Hawaii's deputy attorney general, Jill T. Nagamine, confirm the state has a birth document on file for Obama. But she would not confirm on the record that the White House document matched what was on file with the Hawaii Department of Health.

The sheriff’s investigators interviewed three persons of interest who have provided additional information in the case.

In prepared opening remarks, Arpaio chastised the media for the way it has handled the investigation.

"You have demeaned this investigation at every turn as silly and wasteful," he said. "Your contempt about the subject and me for pursuing it has been duly noted."

He urged media members to listen to Zullo's presentation of the new evidence.

"Keep an open mind if you can," he said. "Put away all you pre conceived ideas. Keep your eye on the ball."

Arpaio's investigation was initiated last October when 250 Maricopa County citizens approached him for help because they believed the electronic document presented by the White House to the American public was a forgery. Arpaio said he went ahead with the probe with the intent of being able to clear the president and put the matter to rest. But he explained the investigation found too many inconsistencies on the birth certificate.

"We also looked into the president’s selective service registration card and found that it, too, appeared to be fraudulent," Arpaio said.

Investigators since then have traveled to Hawaii and have interviewed more witnesses, the sheriff said.

Addressing the coding issue, Zullo explained that the Hawaii Department of Health, which categorized vital information issued at the time of the president’s birth, used specific number codes that were written in pencil to transfer information from a paper birth certificate to a database file.

The codes seen on the document issued by the White House are not consistent with the information entered into the various fields, indicating the document has been altered or amended.

In the coding system, the number 9 indicates the information is not stated, meaning there should not be any information in the box in which the number is written.

However, the number 9 can be seen written in pencil next to the fields for "Usual Occupation," "Kind of Business or Industry" and "Race of Father" on Obama's document. Each of those fields are filled with information.

"This proves the document has been tampered with and information has been placed on it," Zullo said.

Sheriff’s investigators tracked down the registrar who allegedly signed the White House's birth document, U.K. Lee, who is now 95. She provided information that posed further inconsistencies with the story of Obama’s birth at the Kapiolani Maternity and Gynecological Hospital in 1961.

The investigators also analyzed the Hawaii Department of Health’s response to Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett’s request that Obama's birth information be verified.

They interviewed in person the Hawaii assistant attorney general to verify that the document presented by the White House was the same document on file with the Department of Health.

Investigators said they were troubled to find key information missing on the verification document, including the president’s date of birth.

They said they were equally troubled that the deputy attorney general would not confirm on record that the White House document matched what was on file with the health department.

The national security concerns raised by the investigation are based on Hawaii Revised Statute 338.17.8. which states:

338-17.8 Certificates for children born out of state. Upon application of an adult or the legal parents of a minor child, the director of health shall issue a birth certificate for such adult or minor, provided that proof has been submitted to the director of health that the legal parents of such individual while living without the Territory or State of Hawaii had declared the Territory or State of Hawaii as their legal residence for at least one year immediately preceding the birth or adoption of such child.

Arpaio and his investigators said they have deep concerns that the Hawaii Revised Statute is a loophole that makes it possible for foreign born children to illegally establish U.S. citizenship.

They said the concern is also relevant given the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling concerning Arizona’s proposed state immigration law, SB 1070, in which the federal court ruled state laws cannot be in contradiction or in conflict with federal law.

Zullo noted that, normally, when it's necessary to prove a person is a U.S. Citizen, the main form of documentation is a state certificate of birth.

"It appears that in the case of Hawaii law, any person can obtain a birth certificate if any adult or their parents can prove that they resided in Hawaii for one year and paid taxes," he said. "There is no requirement to show that the child itself was actually born in Hawaii or on U.S. soil."

More to come …

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