Joe Biden’s longtime former staffer Annie Tomasini is set to testify before congressional investigators on Friday after being subpoenaed by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY).
The testimony is part of a growing investigation into allegations surrounding Biden’s health and the possible use of an autopen for executive actions during his presidency.
Tomasini, who served as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff under Biden, was originally scheduled for a voluntary interview, but her legal team reportedly requested the subpoena.
The reasoning behind this request remains unclear, but Tomasini’s appearance before Congress is expected to be pivotal in the ongoing inquiry into the Biden administration’s handling of the president’s mental and physical decline.
Tomasini’s testimony will come as part of Chairman Comer’s ongoing investigation into allegations that key members of the Biden administration, including top White House aides, deliberately concealed signs of Biden’s declining health while in office.
One of the major questions being explored is whether autopen devices were used to sign important executive orders and documents without the former president’s full knowledge, raising concerns about whether Biden was physically and mentally capable of handling the responsibilities of the presidency.
Biden allies have pushed back against these claims, with the former president himself firmly asserting in an interview with The New York Times on Thursday that he made all decisions himself during his time in office.
“I made every decision,” Biden stated unequivocally, rejecting any suggestion that his aides were making decisions on his behalf.
Tomasini is the latest in a series of ex-Biden administration aides to be subpoenaed as part of the House probe.
She will join Anthony Bernal, a longtime aide to former First Lady Jill Biden, who recently appeared before the committee and pleaded the Fifth Amendment on all questions related to the president.
Bernal’s brief appearance lasted less than an hour, highlighting the tense and secretive nature of these closed-door depositions.
While House lawmakers typically do not attend these closed-door hearings, staff members are heavily involved in the proceedings.
Comer has attended several of these sessions, and progressive Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) has made surprise appearances, adding an element of drama to the hearings.
Tomasini and Bernal were known to be among Biden’s most trusted aides, with a deep personal loyalty to the former president and ex-first lady.
According to CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios political correspondent Alex Thompson’s book “Original Sin”, Tomasini and Bernal were integral to managing Biden’s public image, particularly during moments when he struggled with unscripted remarks.
Tomasini and Bernal’s behind-the-scenes influence reportedly grew during the pandemic, becoming “intensely loyal” to the Bidens in a manner that was more akin to a “brother-and-sister” dynamic, according to Tapper and Thompson.
This level of access allowed them to assume roles that went beyond traditional duties, with Tomasini and Bernal having near-total access to the White House residence staff, an extraordinary privilege for non-officials.
The book’s authors argue that Tomasini and Bernal’s rapid rise within the Biden administration symbolizes the increasing dominance of individuals whose allegiance was to the Biden family itself, not the presidency, the American people, or the nation at large.
Their proximity to the Bidens suggests that their influence was not just professional but deeply personal, marking a shift in the structure of the White House.
Biden’s supporters have criticized the investigation, describing it as a politically motivated attempt to undermine the president and damage his legacy.
A source close to the Biden team called the Republican-led probe “dangerous” and an attempt to “smear and embarrass” the president.
They claimed that Republicans are simply searching for “one tiny inconsistency between witnesses” that could potentially fuel further legal action by Trump’s DOJ in a bid for political revenge.
The investigation continues to raise concerns about the intersection of politics and the law, with critics accusing Republicans of using the power of congressional investigations to weaken Biden’s position ahead of future elections.
As the hearings progress, questions will linger about the true extent of Biden’s health and decision-making capacity during his time in office, and whether these issues were deliberately concealed by those closest to him.
For conservatives, the investigation into Biden’s mental and physical fitness raises legitimate concerns about the long-term health of the presidency and the risks associated with an aging leader.
The use of autopen devices to sign executive orders and the potential for a cover-up by top aides suggests that this is more than just an investigation into an individual’s health; it’s about the integrity of the highest office in the land and whether it was compromised for political gain.
As Tomasini’s closed-door testimony unfolds, it is clear that this probe is far from over.
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