House Oversight Chairman James Comer has confirmed that Anthony Bernal, a senior aide to First Lady Jill Biden, invoked the Fifth Amendment and refused to answer questions during a closed-door hearing about President Biden’s alleged cognitive decline coverup.
Bernal, who is said to have played a key role in shielding the public from President Biden’s cognitive health issues, declined to testify when questioned under oath, citing his constitutional right against self-incrimination.
Chairman Comer, frustrated by the refusal, argued that the testimony should have been conducted in a public setting and is now urging Congress to grant Bernal immunity, which would nullify his Fifth Amendment protection and compel him to speak.
“If Anthony Bernal is granted immunity, he can no longer plead the Fifth. He must testify,” Comer stated. “The American people deserve transparency and accountability—especially when it comes to questions about the mental fitness of their Commander-in-Chief.”
The investigation is part of a broader effort by House Republicans to examine claims of internal efforts to conceal President Biden’s mental and physical state from the public and even some government officials.
While the White House has repeatedly dismissed such claims as politically motivated, the committee insists it has gathered testimony and documents suggesting deliberate obfuscation from those close to the president, including senior staff in the East Wing.
Comer’s push to immunize Bernal and move the hearings into the public eye signals a more aggressive phase of the investigation. So far, the White House has not commented on the latest developments.
