Biden's former doctor asks to delay testimony to House panel, citing patient privilege concerns

WASHINGTON – Former President Joe Biden’s doc has asked to hold his grounds earlier the House oversight committee this week, citing the request for an statement that volition respect doctor-patient confidentiality rules arsenic portion of the probe into Biden's wellness successful office.

Dr. Kevin O’Connor, who served arsenic Biden’s doc astatine the White House, requested a hold until the extremity of July oregon aboriginal August “to scope an accommodation that volition support the precise important privilege and confidentiality interests of Dr. O’Connor and erstwhile President Biden,” according to a missive from his lawyer sent to Rep. James Comer of Kentucky connected Saturday. The Associated Press obtained a transcript of the letter.

A spokesperson for Oversight Republicans said the committee volition travel the House’s deposition guidelines, which let for witnesses to asseverate privilege connected a question-by-question basis, with the committee seat ruling connected each claim. But O'Connor is not allowed, successful the committee's view, to hold oregon diminution a legislature subpoena owed to concerns implicit questions astir perchance privileged information.

The back-and-forth is portion of a broader conflict implicit the scope of the House Republican enquiry into Biden’s property and intelligence fitness, with superior implications for some authorities and policy. Republicans person besides claimed that immoderate policies carried retired by the White House “autopen” whitethorn beryllium invalid if it is proven that Biden was mentally incapacitated for immoderate portion of his term.

Biden has powerfully denied claims that helium was not successful a close authorities of caput astatine immoderate constituent portion successful office, calling the claims "ridiculous and false.”

The House Oversight Committee archetypal requested O’Connor attest earlier the committee past July, but the Biden White House blocked his testimony. Comer renewed his petition successful May and aboriginal subpoenaed the doc successful June.

David Schertler, the lawyer for O'Connor, successful the missive said the committee is refusing to “accommodate to immoderate grade Dr. O'Connor's objections” implicit protecting privilege. He said the committee's determination was “unprecedented” and “alarming” and warned that it threatened broader principles astir aesculapian privacy.

Scherlter said O’Connor could look “serious consequences" for violating his obligations arsenic a doctor, including losing his aesculapian license.

In a June subpoena of O’Connor, Comer said that claims of physician-patient privilege nether the American Medical Association’s codification of morals “lack merit” due to the fact that that codification is not portion of national law. He said the committee’s subpoena meets the AMA’s ain request that physicians indispensable stock a patient’s aesculapian accusation if “legally compelled to disclose the information” oregon “ordered to bash truthful by legally constituted authority.”

Comer has promised that the committee volition marque each its findings nationalist successful a study aft the enquiry has finished. He has subpoenaed O'Connor and Anthony Bernal, erstwhile main of unit to erstwhile archetypal woman Jill Biden. The committee past period heard voluntary grounds from Neera Tanden, erstwhile manager of Biden's home argumentation counsel.

The committee has besides requested the grounds of astir a twelve erstwhile elder Biden aides, including erstwhile White House chiefs of unit Ron Klain and Jeff Zients; erstwhile elder advisers Mike Donilon and Anita Dunn; erstwhile lawman main of unit Bruce Reed, erstwhile counsellor to the president Steve Ricchetti, erstwhile lawman main of unit Annie Tomasini and a erstwhile adjunct to the president, Ashley Williams.

The Trump White House has waived enforcement privilege, a rule that protects galore communications betwixt the president and unit from Congress and the courts, for astir 10 elder erstwhile Biden staffers. That determination clears the mode for those staffers to sermon their conversations with Biden portion helium was president.

While the privilege tin use to erstwhile staffers, the determination of whether to waive it is decided by the sitting administration.

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