Another aide who worked for former President Biden in the White House has declined to testify before a Congressional committee, according to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY.) on Friday.
Comer remarked on social media that it was “incredible” that Annie Tomasini, the deputy director of Oval Office Operations, refused.
“It’s evident they want to conceal critical information to protect themselves and Joe Biden instead of being honest with the American public about this significant scandal,” he stated.
“We require transparency and accountability, and we will persist in seeking the truth and exploring options to get the answers we need,” he continued.
When pressed about whether Tomasini had been directed to misrepresent Biden’s health or manage classified documents discovered in his garage, she invoked the Fifth Amendment. Comer mentioned that she was also queried about whether either Biden or anyone in the White House had told her to hide or destroy any classified materials, as well as if she’d collaborated with anyone from the White House to conceal details about the Biden family’s business activities.
Earlier this week, Anthony Bernal, often referred to as the “work husband” of former First Lady Jill Biden, also refused to testify before the committee. This followed a similar refusal from Biden’s former doctor, Kevin O’Connor, earlier this month.
Both the White House and Comer suggest that Biden’s staff played a role in covering up the former president’s cognitive decline towards the end of his presidency. Neither Biden nor Bernal have faced charges.
“Recently, the committee has called for Bernal’s testimony regarding the controversy surrounding the use of autopen at the close of President Biden’s term, confirming that Biden personally made all decisions regarding generous grants,” Bernal’s statement noted.
He added, “The committee has begun looking into the matter of automatic pens, but the chairman has already acknowledged that this issue has been resolved. ‘The biggest scandal in the history of the Oval Office,’ he remarked.”
The former president echoed these sentiments in a Sunday interview with the New York Times.
“Let’s be clear. We made decisions during the presidency, including pardons, executive orders, and other declarations,” he stated.
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