Latest news with #Tanden
New York Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Former top Biden White House official blames Merrick Garland for failure to look into the Epstein files: ‘He was hypersensitive'
A former top White House official blamed ex-Attorney General Merrick Garland for the Biden administration's failure to do a deep dive into files related to notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Neera Tanden, a senior adviser to former President Joe Biden who became director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, threw Garland under the bus Wednesday when asked, 'Why didn't the Biden administration do anything' about the so-called Epstein files by 'Bulwark Podcast' host Tim Miller. 3 Tanden claimed that the Biden White House did not discuss the Epstein case — or hardly anything — with the Department of Justice when questioned by 'Bulwark Podcast' host Tim Miller. X/@BulwarkOnline Advertisement 'Any time I say anything about Epstein, they're like, 'Why didn't Joe Biden's — why didn't Joe Biden release the files?' And this is what I say: Have you met Merrick Garland?' Tanden responded. '[T]he Joe Biden White House had nothing to do with enforcement on any topic,' she continued, charging that 'because of the abuses of the Trump administration, the White House didn't engage in any particular enforcement matter.' 'We barely did engage on policy with the Department of Justice. They were so arms-length to us.' Advertisement Tanden claimed the Biden White House had 'no idea' what — if anything — Garland was doing related to the Epstein files, but that she believes the former attorney general couldn't tolerate being potentially viewed as biased if he were to open more criminal cases related to Epstein's underage sex trafficking endeavors. 3 Tanden said she believes Garland may have been 'hypersensitive' to potential political blowback related to the Epstein case. AP 'I can't really tell you why Merrick Garland didn't do it. I would say that he was hypersensitive about any perceptions of unfairness to a point where I think, you know, I'm not sure justice was always even done,' Tanden said. 'And I can imagine he thought, you know, after he's doing [Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot cases] and all the conservative blowback on that — maybe he wouldn't even look into Ghislaine Maxwell — but someone should ask him,' she added. Advertisement 'I wish he had looked into it.' 3 Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on federal child sex trafficking charges. REUTERS A House Oversight panel subcommittee on Wednesday voted to subpoena Garland, a slew of other former top Justice Department officials, former President Bill Clinton and ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton related to a congressional investigation into Maxwell – an Epstein accomplice who was convicted of sex trafficking conspiracy charges in 2022. The DOJ and FBI announced earlier this month that they did not find any information in the Epstein files that would warrant criminal charges against third parties in the case – sparking outrage from some of President Trump's core base of supporters.
American Military News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- American Military News
Fmr. top Biden aide admits to controlling autopen
A former top aide to former President Joe Biden testified to Congress on Tuesday as part of the House Oversight Committee's investigation into the 'cover-up of President Biden's mental decline and use of autopen.' According to The Washington Examiner, Neera Tanden, who previously served as the director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and as a staff secretary and senior adviser to Biden, met with members of Congress behind closed doors on Tuesday for over four hours. The former top Biden aide testified on Tuesday that she was authorized to use the autopen while working under the Biden-Harris administration. 'As staff secretary, I was responsible for handling the flow of documents to and from the president,' Tanden told the House Oversight Committee. 'I was also authorized to direct that autopen signatures be affixed to certain categories of documents. We had a system for authorizing the use of the autopen that I inherited from prior administrations. We employed that system throughout my tenure as staff secretary.' According to The Washington Examiner, Tanden admitted that she was authorized to direct the use of the autopen while serving as a staff secretary and senior adviser to Biden from October of 2021 to May of 2023. Tanden also testified that she stopped directing the use of the president's autopen after becoming the director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. READ MORE: 'No evidence' Biden was aware of major executive orders, watchdog says Addressing concerns regarding who was actually in charge under the Biden administration, the former Biden aide told the House Oversight Committee, 'I had no experience in the White House that would provide any reason to question [Biden's] command as president.' In a statement to The Washington Examiner on Tuesday, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said, 'I always prefer the transcribed interview/deposition, as opposed to a committee hearing. So much more substantive.' Pointing to the committee's investigation into the use of the autopen during the Biden-Harris administration, Comer told The Washington Examiner, 'This is the first of what will be many interviews with people that we believe were involved in the autopen scandal in the Biden administration. I think the American people want to know. I think there's a huge level of curiosity in the press corps with respect to who was actually calling the shots in the Biden administration.' In May, Comer claimed that the American people 'deserve to know' who was 'calling the shots' in the White House under the former president's administration, warning that it was one of the 'greatest scandals of our generation.'
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Who is Neera Tanden? Biden aide admits approving autopen signatures without knowing who cleared them
Neera Tanden , who used to work closely with President Joe Biden, told Congress that she was allowed to approve autopen signatures on important documents. But she admitted she didn't know exactly who was giving her the final okay. The investigation centered around the fact that a frailing Biden was taking all the major calls, or whether others in the White House and his circle were doing it for him. Neera Tandon, former Director of the Domestic Policy Council and a former senior staff advisor, was summoned by the House Oversight Committee in Capitol Hill in a closed door meeting, with no media persons allowed in, as per Fox News report. Her testimony lasted for over five hours. She answered questions from both Republican and Democrat staff. Congress is investigating how much President Biden is personally involved in major decisions. They're especially looking into whether others have been using something called the autopen to sign things for him, as per the reports. The autopen is a machine that signs the president's name on papers — like memos, letters, and even pardons — when someone gives it the go-ahead. Tanden said she was authorized to send orders for using the autopen on behalf of President Biden. She would send 'decision memos' to other top people in the White House, as per Fox News report. ALSO READ: $400 million case crumbles, but Justin Baldoni isn't done yet — new shock move keeps legal drama alive Live Events Tanden didn't know who gave final OK But she admitted that she did not know who was actually making the final decision to approve those autopen signatures. She just sent the memo and got it back later with approval. This means she helped carry out the autopen orders but wasn't sure who exactly told her it was okay to move forward. Tanden also said she had limited personal contact with Biden. She didn't talk to him much directly. Lawmakers asked her if she ever spoke with anyone about Biden's health or mental ability to do the job — especially after a bad debate performance in summer 2023. She was asked about many officials and said 'no' to all of them, according to a Fox News report. More Biden team members will testify She didn't speak to the press when she arrived at the Capitol that morning. But after the interview, she did talk briefly to reporters. She said she answered every single question and was happy to talk about her time in public service. She called the process 'thorough' and said she was glad she took part. When someone asked her directly if the White House tried to hide Biden's health condition, she replied, 'Absolutely not.' More people from the Biden team will also be talking to the Oversight Committee. The next big name is Dr. Kevin O'Connor, Biden's former White House doctor, as per the reports. He has been subpoenaed to give a deposition. Other senior aides set to testify include Anthony Bernal, senior advisor to First Lady Jill Biden, Annie Tomasini, Biden's former deputy chief of staff, and Ashley Williams, who helped manage Oval Office operations, as stated by Fox News report. FAQs Q1. Who is Neera Tanden? Neera Tanden is a former top aide to President Joe Biden. She worked as the Director of the Domestic Policy Council and senior advisor from 2021 to 2023. Q2. What is the autopen signature? The autopen is a machine that automatically signs documents for the president, like memos and pardons, when authorized by White House staff.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ex-Biden aide agrees to testify to House committee about president's mental fitness while in office
A former senior adviser to President Joe Biden has agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee in a closed-door interview as part of its investigation into claims of Biden's cognitive decline while in office. Neera Tanden, who served as a senior adviser, White House Staff Secretary, and Director of the Domestic Policy Council during the Biden administration, is set to testify before the committee on June 24, according to an Oversight Committee aide. Her closed-door testimony will be recorded and reviewed as part of Republican committee members' investigation into Biden's mental acuity and the alleged cover-up by his staff and allies. Republican Representative James Comer, the chairman of the committee, has accused Democrats, the media, and the Biden administration of 'propping up a man who was unfit to lead.' Comer believes the so-called 'cover up' allowed for the utilization of 'autopens' to issue 'blanket pardons' for members of the Biden family. President Donald Trump has made similar claims that the use of the autopen meant someone other than Biden was in charge of the White House during his term. Tanden has acknowledged that the autopen is used in 'a lot' of administrations but has not provided any public comment on Biden's use of it or his cognitive function. Comer had requested Tanden and other former staffers he's accused of engaging in a 'cover-up,' testify to the committee and threatened to subpoena those who do not voluntarily comply. Tanden, 54, is a prominent Democratic political consultant who has worked in the Clinton, Obama and Biden administrations. When Biden took office in 2020, he nominated Tanden to serve as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. However, the nomination was considered controversial due to Tanden's history of name-calling in tweets. The White House eventually withdrew Tanden's nomination and appointed her senior adviser and staff secretary. The testimony will come after a renewed focus on Biden's mental fitness, which was the subject of Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's book Original Sin. Comer has also requested testimony from Michael Donilon and Anita Dunn, former senior advisers; Bruce Reed, former deputy chief of staff; and Steve Ricchetti, the former counselor to the president. Others subpoenaed include Anthony Bernal, a former senior adviser to First Lady Jill Biden; Ashley Williams, the former deputy director of Oval Office operations; and Annie Tomasini, the former deputy chief of staff. Comer has also subpoenaed Biden's physician, Kevin O'Connor. Biden has maintained that he drove the decision-making during his presidency. There has been no evidence that aides acted on his behalf or that anyone other than Biden used the autopen.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Scott Jennings' Temper ERUPTS At Former Biden Official On CNN
Scott Jennings turned up the volume Tuesday on CNN. The resident Republican foil on 'NewsNight' lost his temper in an exchange with former Joe Biden adviser Neera Tanden over vandalism at Tesla sites. (Watch the video below.) 'So let me educate you about my position!' he screamed in a rant that had him trending on social media. Even without regular host Abby Phillip, Jennings still ratcheted up the tension with fill-in moderator John Berman trying to play peacemaker. Jennings reportedly is getting a hefty raise for being the political version of a pro wrestling heel on the show, but he presumably is not acting. The friction the former George W. Bush staffer generates appears to be working in terms of ratings. AdWeek reported that 'NewsNight' is CNN's most popular show in the important 25-54 age demographic. Jennings' regular support for President Donald Trump and his DOGE hatchet man Elon Musk is fairly predictable, but viewers might be tuning in for volatile confrontations like Tuesday's. Jennings sided with Trump's assessment that the suspects involved in vandalizing Tesla sites were domestic terrorists protesting Tesla owner Musk's cuts in the federal government. 'That's the American left right now,' Jennings said. 'It is one angry mob after another willing to take things into their own hands, up to and including keying, firebombing, and otherwise vandalizing cars and car dealerships and charging stations.' 'So, when they do it to a Tesla dealership, it's really bad,' Tanden interjected. 'But when they do it to the halls of Congress, we should pardon them? Is that your position?' Amid crosstalk, Jennings said: 'I know you haven't been around for a while, so let me educate you about my position about Jan. 6.' 'I'm so sorry,' Tanden said sarcastically. Rattled by Tanden and the panel din, Jennings could take no more. He warned her about being condescending and then went Vesuvius. 'So let me educate you about my position!' he bellowed. Berman tried to direct traffic as the two mixed it up. 'Guys, let's do this. Jan. 6 and then Neera.' 'I'm sorry you're getting emotional,' Tanden said. 'Yeah, I'm sorry you're a condescending person who hasn't been paying attention to what I do,' Jennings replied. 'So here's the issue. I didn't support what happened on Jan. 6 and was one of the first Republicans to call it out. I don't support the pardons. I have repeatedly ... said that no violence in our political system is acceptable. But this right here, what's going on with a guy who helps our country, who runs successful companies, who doesn't have to be doing this, and now one of his companies is under systematic terroristic threats and violence all over the country. And people seem to be laughing about it or fine with it. It's outrageous. I've sat at this table and had people say we should cut Elon Musk from the government totally. He rescued our astronauts today. Is that what we want? The treatment of this guy is outrageous. These people who are doing this need to be found and put in jail and made an example of. That's my point.' Or perhaps the point is, Jennings got triggered and it's exactly what CNN viewers want to see. Tanden took the liberty of owning Jennings with the last word on X, formerly Twitter: 'Some men are so emotional,' she wrote. CNN Pundit Scott Jennings, Who Regularly Defends Trump, Gets Raise Amid Staff Cuts Abby Phillip's Priceless Look Cuts Down Scott Jennings' Excuse For Trump Scott Jennings Is Dared by WaPo Reporter To Imitate Elon Musk's Salute On CNN
