House Oversight Chairman James Comer has intensified his investigation into the alleged cover-up surrounding Joe Biden’s cognitive and physical decline, along with the use of an autopen to authorize significant executive actions during his presidency.
On Thursday, Comer issued formal requests for transcribed interviews from five of Biden’s closest aides and advisors, citing growing concerns over who was making key decisions while Biden was in office.
Among those requested for interviews are Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s longtime personal physician; Neera Tanden, former Director of the Domestic Policy Council; and senior White House staffers Anthony Bernal, Annie Tomasini, and Ashley Williams. Comer alleges these individuals were not simply witnesses to Biden’s decline but may have played direct roles in concealing his condition and facilitating presidential actions without direct involvement from Biden himself.
In a public statement released Thursday, Comer said: “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. Key executive actions signed by autopen, such as sweeping pardons for the Biden Crime Family, must be examined considering President Biden’s diminished capacity.”
The committee’s latest move follows earlier attempts by Comer to secure interviews with Biden aides last year, including subpoenas for Tomasini, Bernal, and Williams.
At the time, the White House refused to cooperate, blocking access to senior staff and declining to make Dr. O’Connor available for questioning.
That effort to secure information was further hampered when Attorney General Merrick Garland declined to honor a subpoena for audio recordings from Special Counsel Robert Hur’s classified documents investigation involving Biden.
Comer now signals that such roadblocks will no longer be tolerated.
“Any continued obstruction will be met with swift and decisive action,” Comer stated.
The renewed push from House Republicans comes amid growing scrutiny over who exercised presidential authority during periods of Biden’s reported medical absence.
Concerns have been heightened by revelations from recent publications, including CNN anchor Jake Tapper’s book Original Sin, in which an unnamed White House insider reportedly said: “Five people were running the country, and Joe Biden was at best a senior member of the board.”
The committee is also examining reports that controversial executive actions, including pardons tied to Biden family members, were processed via autopen without direct oversight by the president.
The Oversight Committee believes these actions may have been signed without Biden’s full knowledge or consent, raising constitutional questions about presidential authority and chain of command.
Comer previously argued that the administration’s lack of transparency regarding Biden’s health, particularly his refusal to undergo cognitive testing and delays in disclosing a cancer diagnosis, undermines public trust and accountability.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has also weighed in on related matters, stating that any use of executive power under diminished capacity must be subject to full legal scrutiny.
With the investigation gaining momentum and public pressure mounting, Comer has indicated that hearings or further subpoenas may follow if cooperation is not secured.
The Oversight Committee has not yet announced dates for the requested interviews. The White House has not responded to the latest demands.
