Former President Joe Biden’s deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini became the third ex-White House aide to take the Fifth Amendment in a deposition on Capitol Hill Friday, as Republicans weigh calling in former first family members to answer questions about the 46th commander in chief’s cognitive decline.
“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 invoked her right against self-incrimination and 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.
“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.”
Special counsel Robert Hur determined in a February 2024 report that the former president “willfully” retained classified files from his vice presidency but chose not to charge him, in part because a jury would likely view him as a “sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.”
Tomasini was one of the first Biden aides dispatched to take inventory of papers in March 2021 at the Penn Biden Center, where some of the sensitive files were later found by his lawyers and turned over to the authorities.
Jill Biden’s former chief of staff Anthony Bernal took the Fifth before the Oversight panel on Wednesday, prompting Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) to call for the first lady to appear for questioning. --->READ MORE HERE
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Three Biden associates have now invoked Fifth Amendment privilege during testimony before the House Oversight Committee, 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
On Friday, Annie Tomasini, a longtime former aide and deputy chief of staff to Biden, invoked the Fifth Amendment during questioning, just days after Anthony Bernal, who served as an aide to Jill Biden, did the same. Joe Biden's former doctor, Kevin O'Connor, also invoked the Fifth Amendment during a hearing into the "investigation into the cover-up of President Joe Biden's mental decline and potentially unauthorized executive actions" last week.
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."
Representative James Comer of Kentucky, who leads the House committee, said on Friday there is now a "pattern of key Biden confidants seeking to shield themselves from criminal liability for this potential conspiracy" following Tomasini's testimony.
According to Comer, she pleaded the Fifth when asked if "anyone at the White House instructed her to lie regarding his health at any time," "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."
Bernal's invocation of the amendment drew scrutiny from conservatives earlier this week. Comer wrote 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. --->READ MORE HERE
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