House Oversight Expands Biden Admin Probe To Include Press Secretary And Chief Of Staff

The House Oversight Committee sent letters to four senior Biden officials, naming former Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and ex-Chief of Staff Jeff Zients.

Committee Chairman and Kentucky Rep. James Comer announced Friday that he sent letters to four former administration officials — including former senior advisor and White House press secretary Jean-Pierre, Special Assistant to the President Ian Sams, Senior Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates and Zients — demanding they sit for transcribed interviews.

🚨 KARINE JEAN-PIERRE CALLED TO TESTIFY in Biden cover-up!

Chairman Comer (@RepJamesComer) demands interviews with KJP, Zients, Sams & Bates over Biden’s MENTAL DECLINE scandal and shady AUTOPEN SCHEME.

The cover-up is unraveling. The truth WILL come out. 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/Kvsrv9NNRO

— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) June 27, 2025

In his statement, Comer said the letter targets former President Joe Biden’s inner circle, accusing them of misleading the public, and said they “repeatedly told the American people that he was ‘sharp as ever,’ dismissing any commentary about his obvious mental decline as ‘gratuitous.’ They fed these false talking points to progressive allies and the media, who helped perpetuate that President Biden was fit to serve.”

“As part of our aggressive investigation into the cover-up of his cognitive decline and potentially unauthorized executive actions, we must hear from those who aided and abetted this farce,” his statement added. (RELATED: Biden-Weary Americans Say Presidents Shouldn’t Be Allowed To Hide Health Records: Poll)

In his letter to Jean-Pierre, Comer wrote: “You served as the White House Press Secretary for President Biden during the last two years of his Administration and were a trusted inner-circle confidante as you were promoted to Senior Adviser to the President in October 2024.”

“You were not only near the president daily, but you were ‘alongside the ranks of the president’s top confidantes like senior advisers Mike Donilon, Steve Richetti and Bruce Reed.’ Your assertion, on multiple occasions, that President Biden’s decline was attributable to such tactics as ‘cheap fakes’ or ‘misinformation’ cannot go without investigation,” his letter added.

Comer requested that Jean-Pierre appear for a transcribed interview on August 18.

In his letter to Bates, Comer also noted that, in addition to serving in the Biden administration, Bates previously held communications roles during Biden’s 2020 campaign and the Obama-Biden administration.

Comer wrote that, aside from Jean-Pierre, Bates was one of the “most prominent public facing defenders” of Biden’s cognitive fitness.

“The scope of your responsibilities—both official and otherwise—and personal interactions within the Oval Office cannot go without investigation, given the mounting evidence that President Biden was incapacitated for much, if not all, of his single term,” Comer added.

Bates was requested to appear for a transcribed interview on August 27. (RELATED: LOFTUS: Democrats Made A Mess When They Shoved Biden Into Traffic)

In his letter to Zients, the chairman described the Biden White House — under Zients’ leadership—as being in “disarray” as media reports increasingly focused on the president’s “mental capabilities.”

📃 Read the letters to KJP, Zients, Sams, and Bates: pic.twitter.com/zQKdR8oI7R

— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) June 27, 2025

“You managed a White House in disarray after public reporting began to focus on the apparent decline of President Biden’s mental capabilities,” the letter stated.

“You reportedly called an all-staff call in July 2024 ‘in which [you] urged President Biden’s team to unite and move forward from Biden’s terrible debate performance[.]’ The scope of your responsibilities—both official and otherwise—and personal interactions within the Oval Office cannot go without investigation,” Comer continued.

The letter requests that the former chief of staff appear for a transcribed interview on September 3.

The chairman’s letter to Sams details his position in the White House Counsel’s Office in the final two years of the Biden administration.

It describes Sams as the “first line of defense” in managing the administration’s response to negative press coverage and Biden’s reported “mishaps.”

“The scope of your responsibilities—both official and otherwise—and personal interactions within the Oval Office cannot go without investigation, given the mounting evidence that President Biden was incapacitated for much, if not all, of his single term,” Comer said.

Sams has been asked to appear for a transcribed interview before the committee on August 11.

Neera Tanden allegedly testified to the committee Tuesday that she authorized the use of the autopen but was uncertain who gave the final approval, according to a statement from the chairman.

🚨UPDATE🚨

As we aggressively investigate the cover-up of Joe Biden’s decline and the unauthorized use of the autopen, I’m now demanding more former Biden staffers come before Congress:

Karine Jean-Pierre
Ian Sams
Andrew Bates
Jeff Zients

Americans deserve answers. pic.twitter.com/XKsYJYjdX2

— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) June 27, 2025

Biden administration aides, Ashley Williams and Annie Tomasini, are also scheduled to take part in transcribed interviews.

In a statement released Wednesday, Comer criticized Bernal for withdrawing from his testimony despite initially agreeing to appear voluntarily, accusing him of avoiding accountability now that executive privilege has been lifted. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Ronny Jackson Accuses Biden Doctor Kevin O’Connor Of Sexual Misconduct)

Comer subpoenaed Jill Biden’s longtime aide, Anthony Bernal, on Thursday after he failed to voluntarily appear before the committee in its probe into President Biden’s cognitive decline.

Comer ordered Bernal to testify before the committee on July 16.