The House Oversight Committee has formally requested testimony from four former senior Biden White House aides as part of its ongoing investigation into alleged efforts to conceal the 46th president’s cognitive health issues, as reported[1] by The New York Post.
The panel issued invitations Friday to former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates, and former White House Counsel’s Office spokesman Ian Sams.
VALHALLA, NY, USA – MAY 10, 2023: President Joe Biden delivers remarks about the debt limit on May 10, 2023 at SUNY Westchester Community College in Valhalla, New York, United States.
Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) stated the committee is examining whether President Biden’s top aides misled the public about his cognitive condition in the final months of his presidency.
“President Biden’s inner circle repeatedly told the American people that he was ‘sharp as ever,’ dismissing any commentary about his obvious mental decline as ‘gratuitous,’” Comer said in a statement.
“They fed these false talking points to progressive allies and the media, who helped perpetuate that President Biden was fit to serve.”
Jean-Pierre, who served as White House press secretary until the end of the administration, is currently promoting a forthcoming book that reportedly discusses internal dysfunction and tensions within the Biden administration.
Zients, who served as the final White House chief of staff, was considered one of Biden’s closest daily advisors.
The committee’s investigation has already included an interview this week with Neera Tanden, Biden’s former domestic policy adviser and former staff secretary.
According to committee Republicans, Tanden claimed she rarely communicated with Biden directly and instead relied on memos routed through senior aides.
Her testimony has raised questions about who was making final decisions on executive actions, including the use of an autopen on official documents.
President Joe Biden is pictured at the Oval Office during an interview with USA TODAY Washington Bureau chief Susan Page.
On Thursday, Comer issued a subpoena for Anthony Bernal, a longtime aide to the Biden family and current head of Biden’s post-presidency transition office. Bernal had previously agreed to testify voluntarily but later withdrew.
Bernal, a senior advisor throughout Biden’s presidency, is also widely known as a close confidant of former First Lady Jill Biden, who has publicly referred to him as her “work husband[4].”
The Oversight Committee’s probe is focused on whether executive decisions were made without the president’s full awareness or authorization, and whether members of his staff worked to shield the public from the full extent of his condition.
The committee has not yet confirmed a schedule for the requested appearances.
