The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee issued subpoenas to three senior White House aides on Wednesday, demanding their depositions regarding Democratic President Joe Biden’s health. The committee’s statement named first lady Jill Biden’s top aide Anthony Bernal, deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini, and senior adviser Ashley Williams. Axios first reported the development.
Biden’s reelection prospects have come under scrutiny following a weak and faltering performance in a recent debate against Republican former President Donald Trump. Since the debate, some Democratic members of Congress and high-profile donors have publicly urged him to step aside as the party’s candidate for the November 5 election. However, Biden has affirmed his intention to stay in the race.
“Key White House staff must come before our committee so we can provide the transparency and accountability that Americans deserve,” said Republican U.S. Representative James Comer, the panel’s chair. Comer labeled Biden “unfit” for office and accused his staff of lacking transparency. “According to one former Biden aide, these three employees – Annie Tomasini, Anthony Bernal, and Ashley Williams – have created ‘a protective bubble around’ President Biden,” the panel stated.
White House spokesperson Ian Sams criticized the subpoenas, calling them “a baseless political stunt” and accusing Comer of “weaponizing subpoenas to get headlines instead of seeking information through the proper constitutional process.”
Many Democratic lawmakers have expressed concerns that Biden has not done enough to convince voters that the debate performance was an aberration, rather than indicative of his abilities. Biden maintains that he is the best-positioned candidate to defeat Trump.
Previously, Comer attempted to interview the three aides during an investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents. Special Counsel Robert Hur did not press charges against the president, and the White House did not make the aides available at that time. The Republican-led panel has requested the aides respond by July 17 and appear for closed-door interviews later in July.
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