Kevin O’Connor, former President Joe Biden’s physician, pleaded the fifth at his deposition before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday.
O’Connor, who had treated Biden for years and reportedly has personal ties to the family’s business dealings, refused to answer lawmakers’ questions during the House Oversight Committee hearing, Chairman James Comer said.
“It’s now 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 and chose to hide behind the fifth amendment,” Comer wrote on X. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Former White House Physician Ronny Jackson Points To White House Staffer In Biden Cover-Up Probe)
“The American people demand transparency but Dr. O’Connor would rather conceal the truth,” Comer said. “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 added that “Congress must assess legislative solutions to prevent such a coverup from happening again,” vowing to continue interviewing White House aides to “get the answers Americans deserve.”
O’Connor reportedly requested a delay in his testimony Saturday, citing disputes over what questions the GOP-led panel was allowed to ask, according to The Hill. Comer had initially summoned O’Connor for a transcribed interview in a June 25 letter.
O’Connor refused to appear voluntarily before the committee, prompting Comer to subpoena him on June 5.
Republican Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson — a former director of the White House medical unit — accused O’Connor of sexual misconduct in June, intensifying scrutiny on the former president’s longtime physician.
O’Connor also drew fire in May when Biden was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer just months after leaving office, raising questions about whether his physician failed to detect the disease. (RELATED: Joe Biden Diagnosed With ‘Aggressive’ Prostate Cancer)
The committee has five more interviews scheduled with senior Biden aides through late July and early August, including former senior communications advisor Anita Dunn, former counselor to the president Steve Ricchetti and former White House chief of staff Ron Klain.
