[butterdezillion]

(Now tell me the truth. Doesn’t it feel good to be 15 again? lol. I used to love doing this stuff. Too bad my memory is going down the tubes.)

Okay. We got the first part of the sentence done. Now let’s zero in on the direct object and its modifiers:

(We already did this part:“I, Dr. Chiyome Fukino, Director of the Hawai State Department of Health, have seen...)

(And now we’re looking at this part:) “the original vital records maintained on file by the Hawai‘i State Department of Health verifying Barack Hussein Obama was born in Hawai‘i and is a natural-born American citizen. “

There are 2 phrases which describe the “original vital records”. What are the 2 phrases that modify/describe “original vital records”?

Beyond that, let’s do a study of inferences. Here’s a statement:

“I, Nellie, have personally seen a copy of “The National Enquirer” which verifies that a man with five heads gave birth to Bill Clinton 2 weeks ago.”

If this was a true statement by Nellie, what 2 facts could we infer from the statement?

In that statement, is Nellie claiming that a man with five heads gave birth to Bill Clinton 2 weeks ago?

[jamese777]

(Now tell me the truth. Doesn’t it feel good to be 15 again? lol. I used to love doing this stuff. Too bad my memory is going down the tubes.)

Okay. We got the first part of the sentence done. Now let’s zero in on the direct object and its modifiers:

(We already did this part:“I, Dr. Chiyome Fukino, Director of the Hawai State Department of Health, have seen...)

(And now we’re looking at this part:) “the original vital records maintained on file by the Hawai‘i State Department of Health verifying Barack Hussein Obama was born in Hawai‘i and is a natural-born American citizen. “

There are 2 phrases which describe the “original vital records”. What are the 2 phrases that modify/describe “original vital records”?

Beyond that, let’s do a study of inferences. Here’s a statement:

“I, Nellie, have personally seen a copy of “The National Enquirer” which verifies that a man with five heads gave birth to Bill Clinton 2 weeks ago.”

If this was a true statement by Nellie, what 2 facts could we infer from the statement?

In that statement, is Nellie claiming that a man with five heads gave birth to Bill Clinton 2 weeks ago?

---

Oops, just like when I was 15, playing one game and having it be fun does not mean the followup game won’t be a bore.
I would prefer to use the rest of the sentence under discussion: “verifying Barack Hussein Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural born-American citizen.”
Your hypothetical sentence is irrelevant.
You can diagram the dependent clauses, and then get back to me.
Your inferences and my inferences have little in common.

[BuckeyeTexan]

I, Nellie, have personally seen a copy of “The National Enquirer” which verifies that a man with five heads gave birth to Bill Clinton 2 weeks ago.”

You're focusing entirely on the definition of "verify" that means "to affirm by formal oath" while excluding the definition that means "to substantiate. To affirm means to state solemnly. To substantiate means to support with evidence. There's a big difference, butter.

You're speculating that Fukino meant "affirm" rather than "substantiate." If you replace the word "verifies" in her statement with the word "substantiates," you'll realize what she intended. She wasn't saying that Obama's vital records "claim" or "swear" that he was born in Hawaii. She was saying they "substantiate" that he was born in Hawaii.

Vital records are official, legal records of a governing authority. The information on them serves as evidence of the facts contained therein. (Prima facie) If Obama's COLB were merely an unapproved draft, it wouldn't contain a statement indicating that it serves as prima facie evidence or have the official seal of Hawaii on it. (IMHO)