House lawmakers on Thursday requested interviews with former President Joseph R. Biden’s physician and several top White House aides, as Republicans allege a cover-up of Biden’s cognitive decline and suggest that others may have signed official documents, including legislation and pardons, on his behalf.
The announcement comes amid a report that a Democrat “whistleblower” has come forward to the Trump DOJ to provide intimate details about the potential misuse of the president’s autopen.
The GOP-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee sent formal letters to former White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor and four senior aides from the Biden administration, demanding transcribed interviews. The requests come in response to new reports outlining the extent of Biden’s cognitive issues and his recent diagnosis of Stage IV prostate cancer, the Washington Times reported.
“The cover-up of President Biden’s obvious mental decline is a historic scandal. The American people deserve to know when this decline began, how far it progressed, and who was making critical decisions on his behalf,” said Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, Kentucky Republican. Comer said the panel is weighing legislation “to address the oversight of presidents’ fitness to serve.”
In addition to Dr. O’Connor, Comer is requesting interviews with four key members of Biden’s inner circle: Neera Tanden, former Director of the Domestic Policy Council; Anthony Bernal, a senior advisor to First Lady Jill Biden; former Deputy Chief of Staff Annie Tomasini; and Ashley Williams, Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations.
According to recent media reports and accounts detailed in newly released books, these individuals were allegedly involved in efforts to conceal Biden’s cognitive decline and may have assumed responsibilities he was no longer capable of handling.
Also, Ed Martin, who has been appointed Associate Deputy Attorney General at the Justice Department, has delivered a possible smoking gun in the autopen scandal: He says he talked to a high-ranking Democrat whistleblower over use of the autopen for Biden’s pardons and named the three people who were the “gatekeepers” that allegedly “made money off of it.”
The revelations have also sparked renewed scrutiny over Biden’s frequent reliance on the presidential autopen, raising concerns that aides may have used it to sign official documents without his direct knowledge or authorization.
An analysis by the conservative Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project found a noticeable uptick in the use of the presidential autopen “as Mr. Biden’s mental and physical decline accelerated,” noting that it was employed even on days when he was present in the Oval Office and could have signed documents himself.
In a letter to Tomasini, Comer stated that the House panel is seeking answers regarding her role in “stage managing” the president’s public appearances and official duties. “The committee remains concerned that you … were involved in running interference on behalf of the former President and perhaps performing duties exclusively reserved for the President of the United States,” Comer wrote.
GOP lawmakers are also keen to talk to O’Connor, who repeatedly cleared Biden health-wise during his four-year term, even as medical experts have said since his prostate cancer diagnosis announced on Sunday he likely suffered from the disease for years. “Given your connections with the Biden family, the committee seeks to understand if you contributed to an effort to hide former President Biden’s fitness to serve from the American people,” wrote Comer.
