Former President Joe Biden’s longtime aide Steve Ricchetti underwent an eight-hour closed-door interview with House Oversight Committee investigators, described as combative and defensive. The probe centers on allegations that Biden’s senior aides may have concealed signs of mental decline, potentially affecting executive decisions. Ricchetti denied any involvement in efforts to cover up these issues, stating that the president is fully capable of performing his duties. He defended Biden’s frequent public gaffes as common mistakes, asserting that their frequency has not increased since Biden served as vice president.
The inquiry is part of a broader investigation into whether the White House staff obscured indications of the president’s cognitive challenges, raising concerns about the integrity of executive actions that may have been signed without full presidential oversight. Ricchetti, who served as Biden’s counselor for over a decade, provided insight into the administration’s internal handling of health assessments for the president, though he claimed no direct role in the physician’s evaluations.
Ricchetti, a longtime Democratic operative and lobbyist, first began working for Biden in March 2012 when he was appointed counselor to the vice president under former President Barack Obama. He was elevated to be Biden’s chief of staff in December 2013. He touted his closeness to Biden over the last 13 years, the source said, and described having personal relationships with former first lady Jill Biden and Hunter Biden as well.
Ricchetti’s own children were also close to the White House during Biden’s tenure – at least three of them had jobs in the Democratic administration at some point. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is investigating whether Biden’s top White House aides concealed signs of mental decline in the president, and if that meant executive actions were signed via autopen without his knowledge.
Ricchetti is the seventh ex-Biden aide to come in, but just the fourth to appear on voluntary terms. Former White House doctor Kevin O’Connor and former White House aides Annie Tomasini and Anthony Bernal all pleaded the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions. Ricchetti told investigators that he was not involved in O’Connor’s physical evaluation letters for Biden,