Third Biden Aide Refuses Testimony in House Mental Decline Probe

Annie Tomasini, former deputy chief of staff to President Joe Biden, has become the third Biden aide to invoke the Fifth Amendment and refuse to testify before the House Oversight Committee investigating Biden's mental fitness and alleged cover-up of his cognitive decline. Committee Chair James Comer criticized Tomasini and other Biden confidants for shielding themselves from potential criminal liability instead of being transparent with the American public. Tomasini declined to answer questions about whether she was instructed to lie about Biden's health, his handling of classified documents found in his garage, or the use of the presidential autopen. This follows similar refusals by Biden's former White House physician Kevin O'Connor and Jill Biden's chief of staff Anthony Bernal. Comer contends that these refusals indicate a pattern of obstruction aimed at protecting Biden and concealing a historic scandal regarding his fitness to serve. The investigation has drawn further attention amid reports highlighting Biden's physical and mental decline during his term, including accounts of exhaustion and disorientation from longtime aides.