House GOP expands its investigation of Biden's health
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
House Oversight Committee chair James Comer during a hearing on March 25. Photo: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images
House Republicans are expanding their investigation into President Biden's health with a new tranche of requests to interview top White House aides, including former chief of staff Ron Klain and senior adviser Anita Dunn.
Why it matters: House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.), citing Axios' reporting, noted that Klain, Dunn and the other aides whose testimony he is seeking made up the ex-president's inner circle.
- Axios' Alex Thompson and CNN's Jake Tapper, in their new book "Original Sin," implicate what they dub Biden's "politburo" in a coordinated campaign to hide details of Biden's deteriorating health from public view.
- Biden's spokespeople have pushed back on the claim that there was a cover-up around his health, arguing that he was mentally and physically capable of serving as president through the end of his term.
Driving the news: In addition to Klain and Dunn, Comer sent letters requesting testimony from former deputy chief of staff Bruce Reed, senior advisor Mike Donilon and counselor Steve Ricchetti.
- "The Committee requests your testimony to evaluate your eye-witness account of former President Biden's decline," Comer wrote in each letter.
- Comer said the aides must agree by June 11 to testify before his panel in July — or else he will subpoena them.
Zoom out: Comer sent letters last month requesting testimony from Biden's personal physician, Kevin O'Connor, as well as former White House officials Neera Tanden, Anthony Bernal, Annie Tomasini and Ashley Williams.
- Many of those aides were also mentioned in "Original Sin" as being part of a select group who had up-close access to the president.
- Comer said in an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity that "our staff attorneys have been communicating with their attorneys" and that he expects each of the ex-officials to testify voluntarily.
What they're saying: "These five former senior advisors were eyewitnesses to President Biden's condition and operations within the Biden White House," Comer said in a statement.
- "They must appear before the House Oversight Committee and provide truthful answers about President Biden's cognitive state and who was calling the shots."
