Former President Joe Biden and his aides are the subject of an ongoing investigation, after Trump accused the latter of concealing Biden’s “serious cognitive decline” and abusing the power of Presidential signatures. Ahead of appearing in front of the House Oversight Committee for a closed interview on Wednesday, Biden’s former physician has asked to delay his testimony.
In a letter addressed to the Committee Chair, Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, a lawyer for Dr. Kevin O’Connor requested for a delay until the end of July or August, citing that an agreement is needed to ensure doctor-patient confidentiality is upheld. The letter, sent last week and initially obtained by NBC News, reportedly stated: “It would be an unnecessary spectacle to require Dr. O’Connor to testify before your Committee… without any accommodations for the well-established doctrine of doctor-patient confidentiality.”
A committee spokesperson, via a statement released to press, referred to the letter as “another delay tactic to stonewall the Oversight Committee’s investigation.”
Trump ordered the investigation in early June, doubling down on claims that “Biden’s aides abused the power of Presidential signatures through the use of an autopen.” In a presidential memoranda, Trump claimed that the aides used Biden’s signature, which was “deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts.” He further alleged that the Department of Justice had found “clear evidence” that Biden broke the law, but that he could not stand trial due to “his incompetent mental state.”
Biden has called Trump’s allegations “ridiculous and false.” In a firm statement, he said: “Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, Executive Orders, legislation and proclamations.”
Read More: Trump Orders Investigation Into Biden and His Aides. Here’s What to Know
In an interview with Fox News that aired on June 29, Trump repeated his allegations. “I think that the autopen is one of the biggest scandals in the history of this country, because the person that operated the autopen was the President of the United States.”
Comer subpoenaed Dr. O’Connor in June, after the physician previously denied a request from the Oversight Committee to appear for an interview.
“Given your connections with the Biden family, the Committee sought to understand if you contributed to an effort to hide former President Biden’s fitness to serve from the American people,” the subpoena read.
The Committee also issued a subpoena to Anthony Bernal, who was a top aide and adviser to former First Lady Jill Biden.
The White House waived executive privilege for Bernal on June 24. Comer claimed in the subpoena: “With no privilege left to hide behind, Mr. Bernal is now running scared… The American people deserve answers and accountability, and the Oversight Committee will not tolerate this obstruction.”
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