Former Biden administration aide Ian Sams is being grilled by the House Oversight Committee as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged cover-ups related to former President Joe Biden’s mental capacity. Sams, who served as a senior spokesman during Biden’s term, is now facing scrutiny over potential involvement in concealing signs of the president’s decline. The committee is examining whether aides may have suppressed information about Biden’s condition to avoid public scrutiny.
Comer wrote to Sams in late June emphasizing that his role as a first-line defense against negative media coverage made him a key figure in this probe. His tenure as a senior spokesman stretched across much of Biden’s presidency, making him central to the inquiry, given the mounting evidence that the former president may have been incapacitated for much of his single term. Comer suggested that if White House staff carried out a strategy to hide the chief executive’s condition, Congress may need to consider a legislative response.
While Sams is the eleventh former Biden aide appearing before the committee, he is just the eighth to come in for a voluntary interview. Three other former officials, including ex-White House physician Kevin O’Connor and former senior advisors Anthony Bernal and Annie Tomasini, were compelled to testify via subpoena. Like previous sessions, Sams’ interview will be conducted behind closed doors, with lawyers from both parties present to oversee the proceedings.
Sams was also thrust into the spotlight during his time as a Harris 2024 spokesman after being criticized by President Donald Trump. Trump described Sams as a ‘below-average guy’ with memorized fake news soundbites. This criticism has added to the scrutiny he faces as investigators probe allegations of possible cover-ups regarding Biden’s mental state.
The committee is also examining clemency orders signed by Trump in the latter half of his term and whether these decisions were made with Biden’s awareness. Biden has maintained that he made every decision in recent interviews with The New York Times. As the probe continues, Sams’ testimony could provide critical insights into the alleged cover-up and its potential implications for the executive branch.