Latest news with #JamesComer
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Amid the Jeffrey Epstein saga, Rep. James Comer claimed Joe Biden's alleged autopen use was the 'biggest scandal in the history of American politics.'
The MAGA lawmaker overseeing the investigation into former President Joe Biden's autopen use has vowed to probe the former president's judicial appointments. During an appearance on Fox News, Kentucky Rep. James Comer, who leads the House Oversight Committee, said his inquiry would 'look at everything that was signed with the autopen,' including executive orders, pardons, and nominees. 'There were some even nominees in the Biden administration—their paperwork was signed with the autopen at a time when the President's mental fitness is in question,' Comer said last week.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Amid the Jeffrey Epstein saga, Rep. James Comer claimed Joe Biden's alleged autopen use was the 'biggest scandal in the history of American politics.'
The MAGA lawmaker overseeing the investigation into former President Joe Biden's autopen use has vowed to probe the former president's judicial appointments. During an appearance on Fox News, Kentucky Rep. James Comer, who leads the House Oversight Committee, said his inquiry would 'look at everything that was signed with the autopen,' including executive orders, pardons, and nominees. 'There were some even nominees in the Biden administration—their paperwork was signed with the autopen at a time when the President's mental fitness is in question,' Comer said last week.
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Three top Biden aides refuse to testify in mental decline investigation
Three of Joe Biden's top aides have pleaded the Fifth Amendment as they are grilled by congressmen over an alleged cover-up of the former president's mental decline. Senior advisers to Mr Biden, 82, have recently invoked their right not to incriminate themselves in appearances before the House of Representatives' oversight committee. On Friday, Annie Tomasini, the former White House deputy chief of staff, became the latest senior figure to plead the Fifth in what appeared to be an attempt to shield herself from legal jeopardy. Anthony Bernal, chief of staff to former first lady Jill Biden, did the same on Wednesday, as did Kevin O'Connor, Mr Biden's personal physician, last week. James Comer, the Republican head of the oversight committee, vented his frustration at what he called the 'pattern of key Biden confidants seeking to shield themselves from criminal liability for this potential conspiracy'. He said on Friday: 'It's unbelievable that Ms Tomasini and others refuse to answer basic questions about president Biden's fitness to serve. '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.' Some aides have agreed to testify voluntarily, some are being compelled via subpoena, and others are discussing pleading the Fifth, The Washington Post reported. Republicans announced they would hold a probe into Mr Biden's mental acuity in office following the publication of 'Original Sin', a book by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson, which claimed a circle of aides sought to hide him from public scrutiny. While in office, Mr Biden would allegedly forget the names of aides he had known for decades, and had to be 'shielded' by advisers during cabinet meetings, the book claimed. Staff also reportedly considered using a wheelchair for Mr Biden during his 2024 presidential campaign, its authors claimed. 'Biden's physical deterioration – most apparent in his halting walk – had become so severe that there were internal discussions about putting the president in a wheelchair, but they couldn't do so until after the election,' the authors wrote. 'Given Biden's age, [his physician Kevin O'Connor] also privately said that if he had another bad fall, a wheelchair might be necessary for what could be a difficult recovery.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Another Biden aide invokes Fifth Amendment in deposition before House panel
Annie Tomasini on Friday became the third Biden administration official to plead the Fifth Amendment in a House panel's investigation into former President Joe Biden's mental fitness and use of a presidential autopen while in office. Tomasini was called on to appear before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee for a closed-door interview. Tomasini, who served as the deputy chief of staff to Biden, invoked the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and declined to answer questions, according to Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer. MORE: Oversight Committee releases video of Biden's physician's closed-door testimony Comer, who did not attend the hearing on Friday, subsequently criticized what he called a "pattern of key Biden confidants seeking to shield themselves from criminal liability." "It's unbelievable that Ms. Tomasini and others refuse to answer basic questions about President Biden's fitness to serve. 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," Comer said in a statement. Tomasini didn't take questions from reporters as she left the Rayburn House Office Building Friday. Tomasini's lawyer provided a statement to the committee, which was obtained by ABC News, on her reasons for invoking the Fifth Amendment. "The Committee has asked Ms. Tomasini to testify in connection with an investigation into use of the autopen," the statement, signed by Tomasini's counsel Jonathan Su, read. "There is no actual evidence of wrongdoing by Ms. Tomasini, and President Biden has already confirmed that he made all decisions concerning the grants of clemency at the end of his term." "It is well known that there is an ongoing federal criminal investigation into this matter by the Department of Justice, ordered by the current White House," the statement continued. "This past week, the Chairman suggested that it is 'very possible' the investigation could generate criminal referrals to the Department of Justice. Under these circumstances, any reasonable person would seriously consider an invocation of their Fifth Amendment rights." The House panel has requested several interviews with former Biden officials as part of their probe. Earlier this week, Anthony Bernal, who served as assistant to the president and chief of staff to the first lady in the Biden administration, also invoked the Fifth Amendment in his deposition. "The record is also clear that persons of the full range of the political spectrum, in recent and historical Congressional investigations, have invoked their Fifth Amendment rights to decline to answer questions from Congress. Any suggestion that such an invocation is itself evidence of wrongdoing would be highly irresponsible and flatly wrong, particularly from those elected to represent the people and uphold the Constitution," Bernal's lawyer wrote in a letter to the committee obtained by ABC News. After Bernal's deposition, Comer told reporters that former Vice President Kamala Harris and former first lady Jill Biden "should" be subpoenaed in the committee's probe. MORE: House Oversight chair says Jill Biden, Harris may be subpoenaed over Joe Biden's mental capacity The House panel had also subpoenaed Dr. Kevin O'Connor, Biden's White House physician, for testimony. O'Connor, too, declined to answer questions when he briefly appeared before the committee for a transcribed interview. He cited both the Fifth Amendment and physician-patient privilege. After, the House Oversight Committee took the unprecedented step of releasing a video of the deposition that occurred behind closed doors. The committee also released a video of Bernal's deposition and is likely to do so for Tomasini as well. Neera Tanden, who served as the director of the White House Domestic Policy Council under Biden, sat for several hours of testimony in late June. When asked after by reporters if there was an effort to disguise Biden's condition, Tanden replied: "Absolutely not." Biden himself rejected reports of cognitive decline during an appearance on ABC's "The View" in early May. "They are wrong. There's nothing to sustain that," Biden said at the time. ABC News' Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Meet Annie Tomasini, the longtime Biden loyalist subpoenaed to testify Friday about his mental health
Annie Tomasini, former assistant to President Joe Biden and former deputy chief of staff, is the latest Biden aide subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee, as Republicans investigate the alleged cover-up of the former president's cognitive decline and the potentially unauthorized use of the autopen for pardons and executive actions. Tomasini's counsel requested that House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., issue a subpoena for her scheduled appearance before the staff-led hearing this Friday. Her former colleague, Anthony Bernal, the former chief of staff to former first lady Jill Biden, was hit with his own subpoena for a closed-door deposition on Wednesday after skipping his scheduled interview when the White House waived executive privilege. Bernal's scheduled sit-down came and went quickly, however. Bernal apparently pleaded the Fifth Amendment to the questions asked by House staffers, a source familiar told Fox News Digital. CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios political correspondent Alex Thompson revealed in their book, "Original Sin," that Tomasini and Bernal "loaded a written Q&A into a prompter ahead of a local interview – a document that the campaign had used in prep with Biden." Tomasini and Bernal brought out the teleprompter as his aides were trying to soften his blunders as Biden struggled to stay on message, according to the book. But the teleprompter fiasco became an easy attack line throughout Biden's re-election campaign, as President Donald Trump "weaved" through his myriad unscripted moments. The book described how Tomasini and Bernal grew closer to Biden during the pandemic, eventually becoming Joe and Jill Biden's most trusted aides. Tapper and Thompson describe the "intensely loyal" duo – Tomasini and Bernal – as taking on an "older-brother-and-little-sister vibe" among Biden's inner circle. Bernal and Tomasini later took on some of the residence staffers' roles in the White House. Tapper and Thompson said the aides "had all-time access to the living quarters, with their White House badges reading 'Res' – uncommon for such aides." "The significance of Bernal and Tomasini is the degree to which their rise in the Biden White House signaled the success of people whose allegiance was to the Biden family – not to the presidency, not to the American people, not to the country, but to the Biden theology," the authors wrote. Fox News Digital reported in 2023 that Tomasini was among nearly a dozen Biden aides and Cabinet members to have extensive ties to Hunter Biden, who was accused by Republicans of selling access to his father, dating back over a decade. The analysis revealed the extent of Hunter's potential reach in the White House ahead of the embattled first son's felony gun charges and subsequent pardon by his father in the final days of Biden's presidency. Tomasini was in frequent communication with Hunter, referred to him as her "brother" and often ended her emails with "LY" for "love you," according to emails dating from 2010 to 2016. Then-vice president Biden publicly announced on Dec. 20, 2010, that Tomasini was stepping down to take a position with Harvard University, and Tomasini kept Hunter clued in on the details of that position before she took it, according to emails. The month prior, on Nov. 19, 2010, she forwarded information to Hunter about Harvard's employee benefits and added, "Thanks." "Hey – I looked at benefits And they look pretty amazing. Any word on comp?" Hunter responded on Nov. 23, 2010. "I'll keep you posted. Thanks for looking at all the background Hunt," Tomasini replied. Tomasini was offered the job on Nov. 30, 2010, writing to Hunter, "Director of intergovernmental relations. > 120k ish – may be a little higher." She later thanked him and said she was going to tell his father the news. Months later, Hunter gave a speech at Harvard, but not before running the draft by Tomasini first. A source familiar with the Biden team's thinking told Fox News Digital that Trump would stop at nothing to exact retribution, calling the investigations into Biden's autopen use conspiratorial claims that attempt to slander a political opponent and undo valid presidential actions. "As an extension of this political gamesmanship, Congressional Republicans are following their leader and following suit by dragging public servants up to the Hill," the source said, calling the "dangerous" probe an "attempt to smear and embarrass" and a "partisan, coordinated effort." They said Trump's Department of Justice is "not normal" and "these times are not normal," so this investigation will "be no different."
