Anthony Bernal, a longtime senior aide to Joe Biden, has been subpoenaed by House Republicans investigating whether top White House officials concealed signs of Biden’s cognitive decline during his time in office.
Bernal, known for his close working relationship with the former First Lady Jill Biden—reportedly referred to by some as her “work husband”—declined to participate in a transcribed interview requested by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
His refusal prompted Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) to issue a subpoena compelling Bernal to appear for a deposition.
🚨Signed, sealed, delivered.
Jill Biden’s work husband, Anthony Bernal, must appear before @GOPoversight.
Let this subpoena send a clear message to Biden’s inner circle: We will stop at nothing to expose the truth about Joe Biden’s decline & unauthorized use of the autopen. pic.twitter.com/hMyldwYJ34
— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) June 26, 2025
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According to a letter sent by Comer on Thursday, the committee is seeking to determine whether Bernal was involved in efforts to shield the American public from information regarding Biden’s mental and physical fitness during his presidency.
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“Given your close connection with both former President Biden and former First Lady Jill Biden, the Committee sought to understand if you contributed to an effort to hide former President Biden’s fitness to serve from the American people. You have refused the Committee’s request. However, to advance the Committee’s oversight and legislative responsibilities and interests, your testimony is critical,” Comer wrote in the letter.
The letter also indicated that the committee is considering legislative reforms related to the oversight of a sitting president’s ability to discharge the duties of the office.
Comer referenced the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, specifically Section 4, as a basis for possible legislative updates or proposals that would address presidential fitness and the processes for evaluating and responding to incapacity.
The subpoena requires Bernal to appear for a deposition on July 16.
The committee’s inquiry is part of a broader investigation into allegations that key White House staff may have suppressed or downplayed concerns over Biden’s mental acuity during his tenure.
Bernal’s scheduled appearance was initially set for Thursday but was canceled after the Trump White House counsel’s office informed former Domestic Policy Council director Neera Tanden that executive privilege would not be granted in her testimony earlier in the week.
Bernal’s name also surfaced in earlier reporting related to the internal operations of the Biden-Harris administration.
In May, undercover video footage published by Project Veritas, in which David Hogg—gun control activist and former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee—was recorded claiming that Bernal “ran the White House” during the Biden presidency.
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“He wielded an enormous amount of power… I can’t stress to you enough how much power he had at the White House.”
“It was an open secret… I would avoid him, he was… pic.twitter.com/i7fskTwhNw
— Project Veritas (@Project_Veritas) May 28, 2025
The subpoena of Bernal follows a similar action taken earlier this month when the committee issued a subpoena for Dr. Kevin O’Connor, former President Biden’s personal physician.
The committee is seeking information from Dr. O’Connor as part of the same investigation into Biden’s fitness to serve and whether any medical information was intentionally withheld or misrepresented.
🚨 HUGE: Oversight Committee Chair James Comer has now SUBPOENAED Biden’s doctor Kevin O’Connor to testify for his role in the Biden cognitive coverup
If O’Connor ignores the subpoena, he’s looking at PRISON TIME.
And if he lies under oath, he’s looking at perjury charges.… pic.twitter.com/V7zAC4SvHU
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 6, 2025
The developments reflect ongoing Republican efforts in the House to investigate the handling of presidential health disclosures during Biden’s administration and evaluate whether new statutory mechanisms are needed to ensure transparency around a president’s capability to perform official duties.
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