Annie Tomasini, once a trusted deputy chief of staff to President Joe Biden, has stonewalled House Republicans by invoking the Fifth Amendment during a closed-door deposition on Friday. Her silence on critical questions about Biden’s health and other sensitive matters has fueled suspicions of a deeper cover-up.
According to NewsNation, Tomasini repeatedly declined to answer during the brief 30-minute session, dodging inquiries into Biden’s mental sharpness, handling of classified documents, and alleged family business dealings. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chair of the House Oversight Committee, didn’t hold back, calling this a clear pattern among Biden’s inner circle to shield themselves from accountability.
Comer took to social media to vent his frustration, stating, “It’s unbelievable that Ms. Tomasini and others refuse to answer basic questions about President Biden’s fitness to serve.” While his words carry weight, they also beg the question: if there’s nothing to hide, why the wall of silence from someone so close to the former president?
This isn’t the first time a Biden confidant has clammed up under scrutiny. Earlier this month, White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor also pleaded the Fifth and exited his deposition abruptly, offering no insight into the former president’s condition.
Just last week, Anthony Bernal, who served as chief of staff to former first lady Jill Biden, followed the same playbook, refusing to engage with lawmakers’ questions. This trio of muted testimonies paints a troubling picture of coordinated evasion at the highest levels.
Comer and the White House have both pointed fingers, alleging that Biden’s staff actively concealed signs of mental decline during his final days in office. Yet, without testimony, these claims remain speculative, leaving the public grasping for clarity on what really happened behind closed doors.
Biden himself has pushed back against the narrative of diminished capacity, insisting he was fully in charge. In a Sunday interview with the New York Times, he declared, “I made every decision,” a bold assertion that rings hollow when his closest aides won’t even speak under oath.
If the former president was indeed calling the shots, why the reluctance from his team to confirm it? This gap between Biden’s confidence and his staff’s silence only deepens the public’s distrust in how his administration operated in its twilight.
Bernal, too, has denied any wrongdoing or cover-up, aligning with Biden’s stance. But denials lose their bite when witnesses hide behind legal protections instead of offering transparent answers to straightforward questions.
House Republicans aren’t done yet, with four more depositions scheduled in the coming months to probe further into Biden’s tenure. Among those expected to testify are Ian Sams, a former special assistant; Andrew Bates, a former deputy assistant; Karine Jean-Pierre, the former White House press secretary; and Jeff Zients, the former chief of staff.
Each of these figures holds pieces of the puzzle regarding Biden’s leadership and health during his presidency. Whether they’ll break the pattern of pleading the Fifth remains to be seen, but expectations for candor are understandably low.
The stakes couldn’t be higher as these hearings aim to uncover whether there was a deliberate effort to obscure the former president’s condition from the American people. If more aides stonewall, it will only cement the perception of a White House more concerned with image than integrity.
As this saga unfolds, the core issue isn’t just about Biden’s fitness but about whether those entrusted with power prioritized loyalty over duty to the nation. The repeated invocation of the Fifth by key figures suggests a troubling unwillingness to face the music, leaving taxpayers to wonder what was hidden and why.
Comer’s insistence on a “potential conspiracy” may sound sharp, but it reflects a broader unease that the public was kept in the dark about a president’s capacity to govern. When aides refuse to speak, they don’t just protect themselves; they erode the very foundation of accountability that democracy demands.
With more testimonies ahead, the hope for truth battles against a growing cynicism that those in Biden’s orbit will ever come clean. Until then, Americans are left with unanswered questions and a nagging sense that the full story of this administration’s final chapter remains just out of reach.
