House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said Sunday that testimony from White House aides and other witnesses raises concerns about whether former President Joe Biden was fully in command at the end of his presidency.
“When you have Ian Sams, who was the face of the White House response to the very damaging report that said Joe Biden was a forgetful old man, he was the one that would always respond and say he had talked to Joe Biden, Joe Biden was vibrant, Joe Biden did not do this,” the Kentucky Republican said in an interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”
Once Sams, who was a White House spokesman under Biden, was sworn in under oath, said Comer, “He admits, well, I only saw Joe Biden two times over a two-year period. That’s unprecedented.”
Sams testified to the Oversight Committee that he spoke in person with Biden on just two occasions during his more than two years with the administration, in addition to a virtual meeting and a phone call with Biden.
Comer told Newsmax this month that it appeared that special counsel Robert Hur, who interviewed Biden in 2023 for nearly six hours over two days while investigating allegations that Biden mishandled classified documents, spent more time with the president than Sams did.
Hur’s report concluded that he could not recommend charges against Biden in part because a jury would likely view him as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” making it difficult to secure a conviction for a felony requiring willful intent.
Comer said on Sunday that investigators are reviewing who operated the presidential autopen, which was used to sign pardons and executive orders.
Some witnesses have invoked the Fifth Amendment during questioning, he added, making it difficult to determine who was directing decisions.
“It’s becoming very apparent that Joe Biden really wasn’t the one in command at the end of his presidency,” Comer said.
The congressman also accused career officials of politicizing federal agencies, citing testimony from FBI whistleblowers who claimed there was retaliation under the Biden administration.
“These activists tried to weaponize the federal government in various forms, whether to enact policy or ruin the lives of people or influence elections,” Comer said.
He said accountability now rests with the Justice Department, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, and that more hints are coming from President Donald Trump, who has said “the day of accountability is near.”
The Oversight Committee is also preparing to meet with victims of late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following the Justice Department’s decision to turn over related documents. Comer said Republicans and Democrats will participate in the session.
“We want to listen to those victims and their families and their attorneys to see how best we can present this information,” he said, noting concerns about redactions to protect privacy.
Comer said releasing the Epstein records remains a public priority but stressed the need to safeguard victims’ identities because “there are victims that are involved here, and we want to protect their futures and their reputations and their families.”
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