Biden’s personal physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor has been subpoenaed to testify before Congress about potential financial incentives that may have influenced his glowing health assessments of the former president amid growing concerns about cognitive decline.
Key Takeaways
- House Oversight Chairman James Comer has subpoenaed Dr. Kevin O’Connor to testify on June 27 regarding his medical assessments of Biden and potential financial conflicts of interest.
- The investigation focuses on whether O’Connor covered up Biden’s cognitive decline while receiving financial benefits from the Biden family.
- Dr. O’Connor previously refused voluntary testimony requests, with his attorneys citing medical ethics and D.C. code as barriers.
- The committee is investigating whether Biden’s aides used an autopen to sign documents, which could potentially invalidate some executive actions.
- The subpoena follows growing public concern about Biden’s mental fitness that intensified in spring 2024 after his disastrous debate performance.
Financial Ties Under Investigation
Representative James Comer, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has formally subpoenaed Dr. Kevin O’Connor for a deposition on June 27. The subpoena specifically seeks to determine whether O’Connor’s financial relationship with the Biden family improperly influenced his medical assessments of the former president. This marks a significant escalation after O’Connor previously declined a voluntary interview request and the White House blocked a separate interview attempt.
“Among other subjects, the Committee expressed its interest in whether your financial relationship with the Biden family affected your assessment of former President Biden’s physical and mental fitness to fulfill his duties as President,” Comer said in a letter accompanying the subpoena. “Given your connections with the Biden family, the Committee sought to understand if you contributed to an effort to hide former President Biden’s fitness to serve from the American people,” said James Comer
Dr. O’Connor has served as Biden’s physician since 2009, consistently providing favorable health assessments throughout Biden’s presidency. As recently as February 2023, O’Connor described Biden as a “healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male” despite growing public concern about the president’s mental acuity. These glowing reports starkly contrasted with Biden’s public appearances, where he frequently appeared confused, lost, or incoherent.
Questions About Presidential Authority
The investigation extends beyond just Biden’s health assessments. The committee is examining whether Biden’s cognitive decline was so severe that presidential aides made decisions without his full awareness or capacity. President Trump has ordered an investigation into whether Biden’s aides used an autopen to sign documents while concealing the president’s mental state, potentially invalidating numerous executive actions including pardons and executive orders.
“Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false,” said Biden
Despite Biden’s denials, Comer has expanded his inquiry into the former president’s mental state, requesting testimony from five members of Biden’s inner circle about his cognitive abilities. The committee’s investigation gained additional urgency following Biden’s debate performance and subsequent withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, which many saw as confirmation of long-standing concerns about his mental fitness.
Medical Ethics Claims Rejected
O’Connor’s attorneys have attempted to block his testimony by citing Washington D.C. code and medical ethics obligations. They specifically referenced “Principal No. IV of the Code of Ethics of the American Medical Association” as preventing him from disclosing patient information without consent. However, Chairman Comer dismissed these objections as meritless, noting that congressional testimony is not subject to the same restrictions as court proceedings.
“These arguments lack merit,” Comer wrote in response to O’Connor’s attorneys. The chairman emphasized that Congress has a constitutional duty to investigate matters of public importance, particularly when they involve potential deception about the president’s fitness to serve. The committee also expressed concern about the Biden White House’s apparent attempts to shield O’Connor from scrutiny, noting in a news release that they had “blocked his testimony” regarding “involvement in the Biden family’s influence peddling racket.”
If O’Connor complies with the subpoena, his testimony could provide unprecedented insight into Biden’s true medical condition during his presidency and potentially reveal whether medical assessments were influenced by financial considerations rather than objective medical evaluation. This testimony could also have far-reaching implications for how presidential health is reported to the American public in the future.
