WASHINGTON (AP)
— A former top aide to First Lady Jill Biden declined to answer questions from House Republicans on Wednesday, becoming the second individual to invoke the Fifth Amendment in a growing GOP-led investigation into President Joe Biden’s cognitive health and his administration’s use of the autopen to sign official documents.
Anthony Bernal, who
previously
served as Jill Biden’s chief of staff and senior advisor, was subpoenaed to testify before the House Oversight Committee but exercised his constitutional right against self-incrimination, refusing to answer lawmakers’ questions.
“Well, unfortunately, that was quick,” said Committee Chair Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) after the brief session. “Americans are worried. They’re worried decisions are being made in the White House by unelected individuals, and we still don’t know who they are.”
Bernal entered and exited the
committee
hearing on Capitol Hill without addressing reporters. He was accompanied by his attorney, Jonathan Su, a former deputy White House counsel. Su issued a statement affirming that invoking the Fifth Amendment is not an admission of guilt or wrongdoing.
President Biden has dismissed the investigation as legally unfounded and politically motivated. In a recent interview with
The New York Times
, he defended his leadership and decision-making, stating that he has remained fully engaged in all presidential duties, including the use of the autopen and decisions on clemency.
“I consciously made all those decisions,” Biden said.
Rep. Comer has called on
nearly a dozen former
Biden staffers to testify as part of his probe, including former Chiefs of Staff Ron Klain and Jeff Zients, senior advisers Mike Donilon and Anita Dunn, Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed, Counselor to the President Steve Ricchetti, and personal aide Ashley Williams.
On Tuesday, Comer issued a subpoena to Annie Tomasini, another former deputy chief of staff, requiring her to appear before the committee on July 18. Tomasini is now the third former official to face a subpoena in the investigation.
While Democrats have criticized the investigation as a political stunt, Republicans argue that it’s a critical issue ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
“They still look like losers,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), who attended Bernal’s deposition and dismissed the proceedings as political theater.
But for Republicans like Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), the investigation remains a high-stakes priority. Donalds argued that the inability or
unwillingness
of witnesses to confirm Biden’s decision-making raises serious concerns about who is truly running the administration.
“This is corruption at the highest level,” Donalds said. “If you can’t answer a simple question about Joe Biden’s capabilities, then that further shows he wasn’t the one in charge.”
Donalds went further, saying that every member of the Biden administration should be subpoenaed—up to and including Vice President Kamala Harris and First Lady Jill Biden.
Comer echoed that
sentiment
and didn’t rule out calling Biden family members to testify.
“We’ve started with the lower-level staffers—the ones we believe physically handled the autopen,” Comer said. “Now we’re working our way up to those who may have directed its use.”
He added: “We’ll see where that leads, but the likelihood is high that members of the Biden family will be asked to appear.”
