The Doctor Was In (and Out): Biden's Physician Invokes Fifth Amendment During Deposition

Dr. Kevin O’Connor made a location telephone this week.

Specifically to nan House of Representatives.

O’Connor served arsenic President Biden’s physician. The House Oversight Committee wanted to talk to O’Connor astir whether Biden was fresh to service arsenic president. So House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., issued a lawsuit for O’Connor.

The expert was in.

But not for very long.

After 20 minutes down closed doors with Comer and company, nan deposition concluded. Committee attorneys peppered O’Connor pinch questions astir whether he thought erstwhile President Biden was up to nan occupation and if he was asked to dishonesty astir nan commandant successful chief’s health. But Comer sewage nan aforesaid consequence each time. Even erstwhile committee lawyers posed a elemental question, asking O’Connor if he understood nan proceedings.

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O’Connor deployed his Fifth Amendment correct against self-incrimination each time. The committee moreover took nan uncommon measurement of releasing a video from astir of nan deposition nan aforesaid evening.

"Most group invoke nan Fifth erstwhile they person criminal liability. And you know, that's what it would look (to be) connected nan aboveground here," said Comer aft nan deposition concluded. "The American group person a correct to cognize nan wellness information of nan president. Both beingness and mental."

Comer observed that O’Connor’s soundlessness "adds much substance to nan occurrence that location was a cover-up."

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Tex., was nan only Democrat who showed up for nan deposition. Crockett conscionable bowed retired a fewer weeks agone from a bid to go nan apical Democrat connected nan Oversight Committee aft nan decease of precocious Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va.

"It was important to make judge that a Democrat was successful nan room. Because unfortunately, sometimes group for illustration to cherry prime and make judge that they tin springiness immoderate fits their narrative," said Crockett.

The House Oversight committee released 20 mins of video footage from Dr. Kevin O’Connor’s deposition showing him pleading nan 5th to each questions isolated from answering his name. (@GOPoversight via X)

But nan video revealed O’Connor many times citing nan Fifth Amendment "on nan proposal of counsel." That’s why Comer hoped to style 1 communicative astir nan wellness of erstwhile President Biden. Comer besides suggested nan imaginable lengths that O’Connor was consenting to spell to successful bid to protect nan erstwhile president. And possibly himself.

Crockett was incredulous astatine Comer’s assertions.

"It's benignant of astounding to perceive personification say, if you invoke nan Fifth Amendment, that is only because you are guilty," said Crockett. "(Republicans) person been very bully astatine rallying group up and getting them affectional because they don't afloat understand immoderate of our processes."

Crockett added that patients "have nan correct to confidentiality erstwhile it comes to your wellness care."

The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into nan usage of nan autopen by Biden. O’Connor’s lawyers opportunity that led their customer to workout his Fifth Amendment rights.

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"We want to stress that asserting nan Fifth Amendment privilege does not connote that Dr. O’Connor has committed immoderate crime," said his ineligible team.

And nan connection besides indicated location was interest astir O’Connor keeping aesculapian accusation of nan First Patient successful confidence.

"The Committee has indicated that it will request that Dr. O’Connor reveal, without immoderate limitations, confidential confirmation regarding his aesculapian examinations, curen and attraction of President Biden," publication nan statement. "Revealing confidential diligent accusation would break nan astir basal ethical work of a physician."

His attorneys went connected to opportunity that O’Connor could look "civil liability" and "revocation" of his aesculapian license.

Regardless, O’Connor wasn’t answering immoderate questions anywhere. Inside nan gathering room. Heading to nan gathering room. Or heading home.

"Will you invoke nan Fifth? What astir diligent expert confidentiality?" yours genuinely asked O’Connor arsenic he navigated a third-floor hallway successful nan Rayburn House Office Building pinch a mini coterie of attorneys. "Do you deliberation (President Biden) was up to nan job? Do you deliberation he was up to serve?"

Former President Joe Biden speaks astatine a news convention connected nan last time of nan NATO acme successful Washington, July 11, 2024.  (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

No response.

O’Connor reprised his reticence connected nan measurement out.

"Did you return nan Fifth because you're trying to screen up what nan President's authorities was?" I asked arsenic he departed down a Rayburn stairwell.

Nothing.

The connection from nan physician’s counsel declared that nan pact betwixt doctors and patients "require that Dr. O’Connor garbage to testify."

This is simply a mobility which vexes moreover doctors who double arsenic lawmakers.

Such is nan lawsuit pinch Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan. He’s an OB-GYN.

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"I tin spot some sides of it. I tin surely see, arsenic a physician, you return an oath of confidentiality pinch each patient. If there's a nationalist information issue, does that outweigh that relationship?" pondered Marshall. "I would really person to deliberation astir that. I want to get a mates of consults myself and talk to immoderate law lawyers."

But speech from nan Constitutional, ethical and aesculapian questions, Democrats reverted to defending nan erstwhile president.

I asked Crockett if she ever perceived wellness problems pinch nan president.

"No. None. No. None. I had none. Now, granted, I didn't spot Joe Biden each azygous day. But I did person an opportunity to interact pinch nan president. I ne'er had a concern," said Crockett. "He whitethorn get fumbled up by words. But that's not thing new. And it's not thing that (didn’t come) pinch age."

President Joe Biden speaks pinch White House Physician Kevin O'Connor arsenic he arrives backmost astatine nan White House successful Washington, DC, connected August 28, 2023. (Getty Images)

There had been chat astir getting O’Connor to cooperate without a subpoena. Comer contends his investigation isn’t astir plowing immoderate of nan aforesaid Biden governmental fields explored a mates of years agone erstwhile it was thought nan erstwhile president mightiness activity a 2nd term. This isn’t astir business dealings aliases Burisma aliases "influence peddling." But Comer is posing a morganatic mobility present astir nan fittingness of a president. Any president. Regardless of what Crockett says, location are plentifulness of questions astir Mr. Biden’s acuity and whether unit made decisions – successful lieu of nan president.

And these questions aren’t caller erstwhile it comes to statesmanlike health. President Woodrow Wilson suffered a changeable during his clip successful office. Historians judge First Lady Edith Wilson made decisions connected behalf of nan president. Questions lingered astir President Ronald Reagan. And nan Washington property corps was complicit hiding nan infirmaries of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt from nan nationalist successful an era earlier tv and societal media.

The committee wheels successful different erstwhile Biden figures successful nan coming days. That includes erstwhile Biden Chief of Staff Ron Klain and Anthony Bernal, a apical adjutant to erstwhile First Lady Jill Biden.

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Because of patient-doctor confidentiality, we whitethorn ne'er cognize O’Connor’s existent study of erstwhile President Biden. It’s a problem because nan nationalist deserves to cognize if nan commandant successful main is up to nan job.

But there’s a typical narration betwixt a diligent and their doctor.

The mobility is whether issues of nationalist information and nan management of authorities outweigh those backstage rights.