Ex-Biden press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, chief of staff asked to discuss alleged cover-up of prez's health
WASHINGTON — The House Oversight Committee on Friday asked four senior Biden White House aides to appear for questions about the alleged coverup of the 46th president's cognitive decline.
Ex-press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who has authored a forthcoming tell-all book about the 'broken' administration she served, received a summons, as did Biden's final White House chief of staff, Jeff Zients.
Jean-Pierre's deputy, Andrew Bates, and former White House counsel's office spokesman Ian Sams also were asked to appear for questioning.
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'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,'' said Oversight Committee chairman James Comer (R-Ky.).
'They fed these false talking points to progressive allies and the media, who helped perpetuate that President Biden was fit to serve. As part of our aggressive investigation into the cover-up of his cognitive decline and potentially unauthorized executive actions, we must hear from the those who aided and abetted this farce.'
The panel on Tuesday interviewed Biden's former domestic policy adviser Neera Tanden, who also served nearly two years as the former president's staff secretary — one of the few figures granted authority to use an autopen for official documents.
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Republicans said that Tanden claimed she infrequently interacted with Biden himself and would send memos to other senior aides regarding auto-pen decisions, and then would receive instructions in response — raising questions about who relayed the president's wishes.
Comer on Thursday issued a subpoena to compel the testimony of Anthony Bernal after he reneged on an agreement to appear voluntarily. Bernal leads Biden's post-presidential transition office and is regarded by former first lady Jill Biden as her 'work husband.'
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