Latest news with #Fifth
The Hill
5 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Epstein saga consumes Washington
Former President Biden 's assistant Annie Tomasini refused to answer questions Friday during closed-door testimony about Biden's mental acuity and handling of classified records while he was in office. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) said Tomasini pleaded the Fifth when GOP lawmakers asked if anyone instructed her to lie about Biden's health or if she assisted in concealing classified records found in Biden's home. 'It's unbelievable that Ms. Tomasini and others refuse to answer basic questions about President Biden's fitness to serve,' Comer said in a statement. 'It's apparent they would rather hide key information to protect themselves and Joe Biden than be truthful with the American people about this historic scandal. There needs to be transparency and accountability, and we will continue to pursue the truth and examine options to get the answers we need.' Former first lady Jill Biden 's chief of staff Anthony Bernal and Kevin O'Connor, the former president's longtime doctor, both pleaded the Fifth under similar questions from the committee earlier this month. President Trump on Friday will sign legislation rescinding $9 billion in previously approved government funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, after the clawbacks made the difficult journey through the GOP-controlled House and Senate. 'We're gonna downsize the scope of government,' Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said after the vote. 'Government is too large, it does too many things and it does almost nothing well.' The big headline from the rescissions effort is that the government will cut off funds to PBS and NPR, which Republicans have long castigated as having a liberal agenda. The White House plans to send further rescission requests to Congress, but those could be met by GOP opposition, as Republican senators warn the Executive Branch not to intrude on Congress' power of the purse. Democrats are already threatening a government shutdown in September over the clawbacks, saying there's no point in passing bipartisan funding bills if Republicans will strip spending out of them in partisan votes further down the line. Trump on Friday also signed the GENUIS Ac t, creating a framework to regulate digital assets — a big win for the crypto industry. 'We worked hard,' Trump said to cheers at the signing ceremony in the East Room. Republican leaders struggled to keep their caucuses in line to pass both pieces of legislation, underscoring how chaos has become the norm in the GOP-led House, even in victory. 'I'm so tired of getting phone calls at two, three, four o'clock in the morning,' Trump quipped. The Hill's Emily Brooks writes: 'After uniting in stunning fashion earlier this month to pass the GOP's 'big, beautiful bill' and celebrating the win, Republicans plunged back into disarray this week when a cohort of hardline conservatives tanked a procedural vote over a trio of cryptocurrency bills, bringing the floor to a screeching halt. The intra-party dispute — complete with a public floor rebellion and record-setting vote, a White House visit and hours of closed-door negotiations — underscored that chaos is a mainstay of the razor-thin House GOP majority that not even Trump can stamp out.' And The Hill's Alexander Bolton writes that Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the former Senate majority leader who is retiring next year, has become a wild card since ceding his leadership post. 'The crafty veteran senator has used high-profile dissenting votes and carefully timed statements to make his influence felt throughout the Senate GOP conference and to signal when he thinks Trump — and by extension, Trump's allies in Congress — are moving in the wrong direction.' McConnell this week voted against two critical procedural motions to advance the rescissions package.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Top Republican says Biden aide won't answer questions about former president's health
Rep. James Comer, chair of the House Oversight Committe, said a former Biden deputy chief of staff invoked her Fifth Amendment rights when asked if anyone 'instructed her to lie regarding his health." WASHINGTON − A third aide who served under former President Joe Biden refused to answer questions before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee investigating Biden's mental fitness and his use of the autopen in office. The committee chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, wrote on X that Annie Tomasini, former deputy chief of staff to Biden, invoked her Fifth Amendment rights when asked if Biden, his family, or anyone in the White House 'instructed her to lie regarding his health at any time.' Comer said she also evaded questions regarding Biden's handling of classified documents. More: Jill Biden aide invokes Fifth in GOP probe of Joe Biden's mental acuity The Constitution's Fifth Amendment protects citizens from being forced to testify in official proceedings. This is the third time a witness in the GOP-led investigation has invoked the Fifth Amendment. The previous two were Anthony Bernal, former chief of staff to first lady Jill Biden, and Biden's White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor. 'It's unbelievable that Ms. Tomasini and others refuse to answer basic questions about President Biden's fitness to serve," Comer wrote on X. "It's apparent they would rather hide key information to protect themselves and Joe Biden than be truthful with the American people about this historic scandal." More: Biden says he made the decisions on clemency actions granted with autopen Questions about Biden's health have come to the forefront in recent months after several books detailed his alleged declining cognitive and physical activity. One such book, 'Original Sin,' by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson, includes information from White House aides and officials who said he 'dropped off considerably,' had heavily scripted Cabinet meetings and forgot basic facts. Trump and other Republicans have alleged that Biden's aides used an autopen to sign off on clemency decisions without Biden's authorization. More: Biden's doctor won't testify in Congressional investigation into his mental fitness But Biden defended himself in a July 13 New York Times interview. "They've lied so consistently about almost everything they're doing. The best thing they can do is try to change the focus and focus on something else," Biden told the Times. "It's consistent with Trump's game plan all along." Contributing: Joey Garrison, USA TODAY
New York Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Third Biden aide pleads the Fifth rather than answer questions about prez's cognitive decline
WASHINGTON — Former President Joe Biden's deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini became the third ex-White House aide to plead the Fifth Amendment in a deposition on Capitol Hill Friday, with Republicans accusing her of participating in a 'historic scandal' to cover up the commander in chief's mental fitness. 'There is now a pattern of key Biden confidants seeking to shield themselves from criminal liability for this potential conspiracy,' House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) declared after Tomasini declined to say whether the White House 'instructed her to lie' about the president's health. 'She also pleaded the Fifth when asked if she ever advised President Biden on the handling of classified documents found in his garage, if President Biden or anyone in the White House instructed her to conceal or destroy classified material found at President Biden's home or office, and if she ever conspired with anyone in the White House to hide information regarding the Biden family's 'business' dealings,' added Comer. Joe Biden's former deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini (right) pleaded the Fifth Amendment in a deposition on Capitol Hill Friday about the former president's mental fitness. AFP via Getty Images 'It's apparent they would rather hide key information to protect themselves and Joe Biden than be truthful with the American people about this historic scandal.' Tomasini began her career as a press secretary for then-Senator Biden when he chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee nearly three decades ago. She initially agreed to come before the committee willingly, but reversed her decision earlier this week. Her lawyer requested a subpoena to compel her appearance in front of the Oversight panel. Oversight Republicans announced Thursday that the investigation into Biden's decline and autopen use will continue with a new slate of hearings. Four additional members of Biden's inner circle, including ex-Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, have been invited for a series of voluntary, transcribed interviews that will be carried out this fall. Ian Sams, a former White House counsel office spokesperson, will be the first to come before the committee on August 21. 'It's apparent they would rather hide key information to protect themselves and Joe Biden than be truthful with the American people about this historic scandal,' James Comer said. AFP via Getty Images Next to appear will be Andrew Bates, who served as Biden's senior deputy press security. Jean-Pierre, who became persona non grata in Bidenworld after announcing her new exposé book and change of party affiliation to independent, will follow him, appearing on September 12 to answer questions. Other member of the president's inner circle will also be interviewed, including Ron Klain, who is set to appear next week before the Oversight Committee.
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Joe Biden's Associates Pleading Fifth Amendment Raises Red Flags
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A former aide to ex-first lady Jill Biden invoked his Fifth Amendment privilege during testimony before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, raising red flags for some amid a probe pertaining to concerns over former President Joe Biden's health. Legal analysts, however, reiterated to Newsweek that taking the Fifth does not necessarily mean witnesses are guilty of any crime. Why It Matters Anthony Bernal, who served as an aide to Jill Biden, invoked the Fifth Amendment just days after Joe Biden's former doctor, Kevin O'Connor, did the same during the hearing into the "investigation into the cover-up of President Joe Biden's mental decline and potentially unauthorized executive actions." The move raised eyebrows among conservatives, who have alleged Biden officials sought to cover up concerns over whether the former president was experiencing a mental decline while in office. The investigation also focuses on pardons allegedly signed by autopen, which have come under GOP scrutiny. What To Know Pleading the Fifth refers to the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states that no individual shall be "compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself." Bernal's invocation of the amendment drew scrutiny from conservatives, with Representative James Comer of Kentucky, who leads the House committee, writing in a statement, "During his deposition today, Mr. Bernal pleaded the Fifth when asked if any unelected official or family members executed the duties of the President and if Joe Biden ever instructed him to lie about his health." "This is a historic scandal and Americans demand transparency and accountability. We will continue to pursue the truth on their behalf and examine options to get the answers we need," he wrote. Representative Byron Donalds, a Florida Republican, shared similar sentiment, writing to X, formerly Twitter, that Bernal "couldn't answer A SINGLE QUESTION." Joe Biden associates pleading the Fifth raises alarms for Republicans. Joe Biden associates pleading the Fifth raises alarms for Republicans. Newsweek Illustration/Canva/Getty/AP Newsroom Representative Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, wrote on X, "If there's nothing to hide, why plead the Fifth? The American people deserve answers and we will get to the truth." Legal analysts told Newsweek that pleading the Fifth does not necessarily mean a person believes they have committed a crime. "If someone pleads the fifth, that indicates that they are worried that their answers could put them in legal harm's way. If you get immunity, you cannot plead the fifth. But if you don't get immunity, you plead the fifth because you are concerned that your answers could [cause] criminal charges to be brought against you," former federal prosecutor Gene Rossi told Newsweek. Pleading the Fifth "makes perfect sense" in light of Trump's retribution promises, Rossi said. The move is not surprising, former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani also told Newsweek on Wednesday. "It has less to do with them being guilty than it has to do with their legal exposure. [President Donald] Trump and his Department of Justice officials have made public statements indicating that they may go after Biden appointees," he said. There is a "real" risk of political retribution, he said, noting that testifying before the GOP-led Congress "is a no-win situation" for ex-Biden officials and "can only create evidence that can be used against them." Conversely, Michael McAuliffe, ex-federal prosecutor and former elected state attorney, told Newsweek that he invocations surprised him. "The fact that two former Biden aides invoked their fifth amendment rights against self-incrimination in congressional investigation depositions is surprising," he said. "As to the former White House physician, his attorney stated the invocation was to avoid releasing patient-doctor information. If that's so, invoke that privilege, not a right against self-incrimination." They could be pleading the Fifth for tactical reasons—not necessarily based on evidence of criminal liability, McAuliffe said, adding that is not "technically the correct method of protecting a client from an investigation, but it might prove effective in the event the congressional inquiry proves overly partisan, or excessively punitive." Whether there is a potential crime to support the invocation, however, is "speculative at best," McAuliffe said. Lawyers for both Bernal and O'Connor also asserted that pleading the Fifth does not mean their clients committed a crime. "We want to emphasize that asserting the Fifth Amendment privilege does not imply that Dr. O'Connor has committed any crime," O'Connor's lawyers said in a statement last week. The use of the Fifth Amendment is certainly nothing new in today's political climate. Several former Trump officials who testified before the House committee investigating the January 6 siege on the U.S. Capitol waged by the president's supporters frequently invoked the Fifth during questioning. Trump himself invoked the Fifth 450 times during New York Attorney General Letitia James' investigation into his businesses, reported NBC News. Rossi said that those testifying before the January 6 committee viewed it as a "witch hunt" aimed at establishing criminality, so it was "justified" for them to plead the Fifth as well. What People Are Saying Representative Pat Fallon, a Texas Republican, wrote to X: "These are simple questions... If Joe Biden was really 'healthy, active, robust,' why take the Fifth? This is a pretty unconvincing cover-up." McAuliffe also told Newsweek: "The invocation of the fifth amendment right against self-incrimination is a bedrock constitutional right and courts tend to broadly define it. However, 'pleading the fifth' has become a tactic of choice when being subpoenaed to testify about executive activities, and particularly, in politicized scenarios like a congressional inquiry run by one party." Bernal's attorney, Jonathan Su, said in a statement reported by The Hill: "Under these circumstances, it is entirely appropriate and justified for Mr. Bernal to invoke his rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution." What Happens Next House Republicans will likely continue their investigations of the Biden administration over the coming months. Comer told ABC News that former Vice President Kamala Harris and Jill Biden should both be subpoenaed. "So we're going to bring in everyone. We're moving up the line," Comer said.
Sky News AU
6 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘Greatest constitutional scandal': Top Jill Biden aide pleads the Fifth on cover-up saga
IPA Chief Economist Adam Creighton has slammed a top Jill Biden aide who has pleaded the Fifth when asked about Biden's health cover-up. 'It raises questions to what levels was he engaged with what was going on,' Mr Creighton told Sky News Digital Presenter Gabriella Power. 'This is one of the greatest constitutional scandals in the history of the US.'
