A key Biden White House staffer is refusing to testify before Congress about former President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline, the House Oversight Committee announced Wednesday.
According to Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., Anthony Bernal, who served as former assistant to Joe Biden and senior adviser to First Lady Jill Biden, is declining to appear for his previously scheduled transcribed interview with the committee on Thursday. As described by a committee press release, this interview was expected to be a part of the committee’s investigation into “the cover-up of President Joe Biden’s mental decline and potentially unauthorized use of autopen for sweeping pardons and other executive actions.”
According to the Oversight Committee, “Mr. Bernal’s legal team had previously confirmed he would appear for a transcribed interview on June 26, 2025.” After being told that the Trump administration waived executive privilege for former Biden White House staffers (including Bernal) who are set to testify before lawmakers, however, Bernal’s legal team “informed the Committee that he would no longer appear for the interview.”
“Now that the White House has waived executive privilege, it’s abundantly clear that Anthony Bernal — Jill Biden’s so-called ‘work husband’ — never intended to be transparent about Joe Biden’s cognitive decline and the ensuing cover-up,” Comer said in a statement. “With no privilege left to hide behind, Mr. Bernal is now running scared, desperate to bury the truth. The American people deserve answers and accountability, and the Oversight Committee will not tolerate this obstruction. I will promptly issue a subpoena to compel Anthony Bernal’s testimony before the Committee.”
Comer previously subpoenaed Bernal and two other Biden administration officials last year as part of the committee’s investigation into the cover-up of the then-president’s cognitive decline. These efforts were “obstructed” by the Biden White House, according to the committee.
The revelation of Bernal’s unwillingness to testify without the protection of executive privilege comes a day after former Biden aide Neera Tanden testified before the Oversight Committee on the scandal. According to Fox News, Tanden disclosed that she was permitted to “direct autopen signatures but was unaware of who in the president’s inner circle was giving her final clearance.”
“Tanden testified that to get approval for the use of autopen signatures she would send decision memos to members of Biden’s inner circle. However, she added that she was not aware of what actions or approvals took place between the time she sent the decision memo and the time she received it back with the necessary approval,” the report reads.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
