Anthony Bernal, longtime senior advisor and chief of staff to First Lady Jill Biden, invoked the Fifth Amendment during a closed-door deposition with the House Oversight Committee, refusing to answer questions about an alleged effort to conceal former President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline.
According to Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY), Bernal declined to respond when asked if President Biden had ever instructed him to mislead the public about his health or whether unelected individuals — including family members — had taken over presidential duties behind the scenes.
“Anthony Bernal just invoked the Fifth Amendment during his congressional deposition,” Comer posted on X. “It’s no surprise, given recent reports that Biden aides may have taken unauthorized executive actions during the final stretch of his presidency.”
Comer called the situation “a historic scandal” and emphasized the public’s demand for “transparency and accountability.”
The subpoena for Bernal followed reporting and undercover footage released by Project Veritas, in which former Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg allegedly claimed Bernal held excessive, unregulated power inside the White House.
Bernal had been scheduled to appear for a transcribed interview on Thursday, but withdrew after legal advisors reportedly informed former Domestic Policy Council Director Neera Tanden — who testified earlier in the week — that executive privilege would not apply.
The controversy has intensified ongoing concerns among critics who argue President Biden’s fitness for office was intentionally downplayed by those closest to him. Bernal, a trusted confidant often referred to as Jill Biden’s “work husband,” has become a central figure in the growing scrutiny of how the administration handled the president’s health behind the scenes.
