A top aide to former first lady Jill Biden, Anthony Bernal, refused to answer questions from House GOP investigators during a deposition on Wednesday, invoking his Fifth Amendment rights. This occurred as the House Oversight Committee investigates whether senior ex-White House aides may have covered up signs of former President Joe Biden’s mental decline while in office. The probe also examines if any executive actions were taken without his full knowledge.
Bernal, previously the assistant to the president and senior advisor to the first lady, was compelled for a July 16 closed-door deposition after missing a previously agreed-upon interview date late last month. His scheduled sit-down came and went quickly, with Bernal apparently pleading the Fifth Amendment to the questions asked by House staffers, according to a source familiar with the situation. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., confirmed Bernal invoked his right against self-incrimination in comments to reporters alongside committee member Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who was also present.
Both Comer and Donalds criticized Bernal and his lawyer for arguing that the Fifth Amendment was not an admission of guilt. Comer stated,