Paul Murray Fleiss (September 8, 1933 – July 19, 2014) was an American pediatrician and author known for his unconventional medical views.
History
Fleiss initially trained as a pharmacist and osteopath. He relocated from Detroit to California to take advantage of 1962 legislation allowing an osteopath to convert his degree to an MD. He earned his B.S. in pharmacy from Wayne State University, his D.O. from the University of California, Irvine, and his M.P.H. from UCLA.
Fleiss was the father of "Hollywood madam" Heidi Fleiss. In 1995, he pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and bank fraud. He helped Heidi launder hundreds of thousands of dollars by lying on her loan application and falsely claiming that she was an employee of his medical practice. He was sentenced to one day in prison, three years' probation, 625 hours of community service and a $50,000 fine. Following the felony convictions, the Medical Board of California placed him on probation for 1 year and publicly reprimanded him for "unprofessional conduct" and "dishonesty".
Personal life
Fleiss was married to Elissa Ash until their divorce.
Medical views and opinions
Fleiss was known for his unconventional medical views. He was a proponent of the "family bed". While he recommended that his patients receive vaccines, he did not insist upon it. He was quoted by the Los Angeles Times as stating that he 'could be "convinced either way" on whether HIV causes AIDS'. he counted numerous celebrities or their children among his patients.
In 2005, Fleiss was investigated for his role in the death, from untreated AIDS, of Eliza Jane Scovill, the daughter of AIDS denialist Christine Maggiore, who was HIV-positive.
After receiving over 100 letters of support for Fleiss from patients and parents, the medical board reached a settlement in which Fleiss conceded a failure to maintain adequate medical records and agreed to regular review by an outside physician acting as a monitor.