Jill Biden's former chief of staff pleads the Fifth in investigation of Biden health coverup

Former first lady Jill Biden's chief of staff, Anthony Bernal, pleaded the Fifth during his deposition as part of a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee investigation into the coverup of former President Joe Biden's cognitive decline. 

Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said GOP lawmakers asked Bernal if he was ever asked to lie about Biden's health or whether "any unelected official or family members executed the duties of the president."

Bernal pleaded the Fifth when asked those questions, according to The Hill newspaper. 

Biden's White House Dr. Kevin O'Connor also invoked his Fifth Amendment rights during closed-door testimony earlier this month as part of the GOP-led chamber's probe into Biden’s mental acuity and whether his inner circle had tried to conceal a cognitive decline from the public.

Comer said in a statement that Bernal's actions confirmed that Biden's aides took unauthorized executive actions during his presidency. 

"It’s no surprise that Anthony Bernal is pleading the Fifth Amendment to shield himself from criminal liability," Comer said in a statement. "During his deposition today, Mr. Bernal pleaded the Fifth when asked if any unelected official or family members executed the duties of the President and if Joe Biden ever instructed him to lie about his health. This is a historic scandal and Americans demand transparency and accountability. We will continue to pursue the truth on their behalf and examine options to get the answers we need.”