Testimony of Steve Richetti Before House Oversight Committee

Steve Richetti, a former advisor to President Joe Biden, reportedly minimized worries regarding Biden’s cognitive decline during his appearance before the House Oversight Committee. Richetti’s testimony came after a lengthy lawsuit involving former staffer Chief Ron Crane, who spent several hours answering the committee’s questions last week.

A source familiar with the situation described Richetti’s demeanor in the interview as “rambunctious and defensive,” noting that he often interrupted his attorneys to rephrase questions. Richetti identified himself as one of Biden’s closest allies, emphasizing a working relationship spanning 13 years with the former president. He also cited his personal ties with both Jill and Hunter Biden.

He is said to have expressed confidence in Biden’s mental and physical capabilities to continue serving and suggested the possibility of a successful reelection campaign in 2024. Richetti acknowledged Biden’s age as a concern but mentioned that the team was strategically addressing it. He also shared that notable filmmaker Steven Spielberg had assisted Biden in preparing for a particularly scrutinized debate performance.

While Richetti claimed he wasn’t directly involved in drafting Biden’s physical assessments from former physician Kevin O’Connor, he mentioned participating in discussions with senior staff about how those findings were communicated publicly.

During the interview, which Democrats participated in, the questions seemingly drifted, touching more on President Donald Trump’s medical history than on Biden’s cognitive abilities. Notably, this left some Democratic members unable to utilize the full time allotted for questioning.

Richetti characterized Biden’s cognitive lapses as “general mistakes,” suggesting they were less frequent than those made during Biden’s vice presidency and likened them to errors made by Bill Clinton at a similar age.

Richetti has been a longtime aide to Biden, having officially taken on the counselor role in November 2020. His family connection to the Biden administration, as his son was appointed as a special assistant to the Treasury Department, added another layer to Richetti’s involvement. His brothers also have roles, working in the State Department and the White House social offices.