Former White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients appeared on Capitol Hill Thursday as the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into former President Joe Biden’s actions is approaching its conclusion.
He didn’t talk to reporters while heading in for a voluntary interview behind closed doors. The session is expected to run from around 10 a.m. until later in the afternoon.
Zients is the final Biden official slated for questioning by the committee. The focus is whether Biden was fully aware of the various orders and actions taken with an autopen during his presidency.
Given Zients’ prominent role in the last two years of Biden’s administration, his statements will be particularly relevant for House investigators.
Before becoming Chief of Staff, Zients was involved in handling the White House’s COVID-19 response from January 2021 until April 2022.
What stands out to the committee is Zients’s key role in Biden’s decisions communicated through the autopen, which is commonly used by many presidents to sign necessary documents, regardless of party lines.
However, James Comer, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, is questioning whether Biden truly understood these decisions, especially amidst growing public concerns regarding his mental and physical health late in his term.
Zients, among others, has reportedly communicated Biden’s decisions to his staff. He was involved in drafting those orders before they were sent for final approval by senior officials.
In related reports, Zients approved pardons for Biden’s family shortly after taking his position.
While Biden’s allies criticized the investigation as politically motivated, the committee is moving forward with its inquiries.
In a letter to Zients, Comer expressed concerns about the apparent decline in Biden’s mental capabilities and the implications it has for the functioning of the White House. He stated that if staff acted to conceal Biden’s condition, it may necessitate legislative responses from Congress.
