Comer announces former Jill Biden advisor Bernal canceled testimony in mental acuity probe

House Oversight Chairman James Comer on Wednesday announced that former First Lady Jill Biden's senior adviser, Anthony Bernal, who also served as a former assistant to the president during the Biden administration, has canceled his testimony in the committee's probe into former President Joe Biden's mental acuity.

Bernal was previously expected to testify in a closed-door interview on Thursday, but pulled his appearance after the White House waived executive privilege for former Biden officials in the probe on Tuesday. 

Comer slammed the former aide's decision in a statement, and vowed to issue a subpoena to compel Bernal's testimony. Comer previously subpoenaed Bernal's testimony in the last Congress.

“Now that the White House has waived executive privilege, it’s abundantly clear that Anthony Bernal – Jill Biden’s so-called ‘work husband’ – never intended to be transparent about Joe Biden’s cognitive decline and the ensuing cover-up," Comer said. "With no privilege left to hide behind, Mr. Bernal is now running scared, desperate to bury the truth. 

"The American people deserve answers and accountability, and the Oversight Committee will not tolerate this obstruction," he continued. "I will promptly issue a subpoena to compel Anthony Bernal’s testimony before the Committee."

The statement comes a day after former Biden White House Staff Secretary and Director of the Domestic Policy Council Neera Tanden testified in front of the committee. The White House also waived executive privilege over her testimony.

"Ms. Tanden testified that she had minimal interaction with President Biden, despite wielding tremendous authority," Comer said. "She explained that to obtain approval for autopen signatures, she would send decision memos to members of the President’s inner circle and had no visibility of what occurred between sending the memo and receiving it back with approval. 

"Her testimony raises serious questions about who was really calling the shots in the Biden White House amid the President’s obvious decline," he added. "We will continue to pursue the truth for the American people."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.