Former President Joe Biden’s personal physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor pleaded the Fifth Amendment in a closed-door congressional deposition Wednesday as part of a GOP investigation into Biden’s mental acuity while in office.
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., took O’Connor’s invocation of the Fifth Amendment as proof that he was part of a broader effort to keep the former president’s deteriorating mental fitness from the public.
“It’s clear there was a conspiracy to cover up President Biden’s cognitive decline after Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s physician and family business associate, refused to answer any questions,” Comer said in a statement.
“Dr. O’Connor took the Fifth when asked if he was told to lie about President Biden’s health and whether he was fit to be President of the United States,” Comer disclosed.
Fox News reported that questions were raised about Biden’s mental fitness for office back in 2019, during the run-up to the 2020 presidential campaign.
Throughout Biden’s presidency, the White House maintained that his medical check-ups and exams reflected a clean bill of health and a president who was fully capable and competent to fulfill the duties of his role – even after dropped out of the race and endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris.
In May, news broke of the president battling an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones.
However, though various media pressed the former administration on the issue of Biden’s health throughout his presidency, there is no law requiring presidents to disclose their medical records. It has become standard practice for the White House to summarize the results of presidents’ annual physicals to the public, but the lack of a legal framework has caused Republicans, like Comer, to call upon Congress to create one.
“Congress must assess legislative solutions to prevent such a coverup from happening again. We will continue to interview more Biden White House aides to get the answers Americans deserve,” Comer said.
FNF - House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., speaks at a committee hearing. (Courtesy Oversight Committee)
