‘There was no nefarious conspiracy’: Ex-top Biden official forcefully pushes back on GOP probe of mental decline
A former top advisor to Joe Biden forcefully pushed back on the GOP-led House Oversight Committee’s investigation into the former president’s cognitive decline and possible efforts to cover it up, calling the probe an “unprecedented effort” to intimidate the prior administration.
“There was no nefarious conspiracy of any kind among the president’s senior staff, and there was certainly no conspiracy to hide the president’s mental condition from the American people,” Ricchetti said in the statement obtained by CNN.
Ricchetti, who sat voluntarily for the interview, is the first of two Biden White House aides scheduled to appear this week as part of the committee’s investigation. Former senior Biden advisor Mike Donilon is set to appear Thursday, and the committee is expected to hold more voluntary interviews in the coming weeks, including with former deputy chief of staff for policy Bruce Reed on Tuesday and former senior adviser to the president for communications Anita Dunn next Thursday.
In his opening statement, Ricchetti said he did not have any concerns that Biden couldn’t do the job.
“At all times during his presidency, I believed that President Biden was fully capable of exercising his Presidential duties and responsibilities, and that he did so. Neither I, nor anyone else, usurped President Biden’s constitutional duties, which he faithfully and fully carried out each and every day,” Richetti said.
“I am not aware of any effort to use the autopen on important documents without the President’s knowledge and consent. I am not aware of any effort to keep important information from the President. Senior White House staff kept the President fully informed so that he could provide direction and make all important decisions,” Ricchetti said.
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/30/polit...-ricchetti
A former top advisor to Joe Biden forcefully pushed back on the GOP-led House Oversight Committee’s investigation into the former president’s cognitive decline and possible efforts to cover it up, calling the probe an “unprecedented effort” to intimidate the prior administration.
“There was no nefarious conspiracy of any kind among the president’s senior staff, and there was certainly no conspiracy to hide the president’s mental condition from the American people,” Ricchetti said in the statement obtained by CNN.
Ricchetti, who sat voluntarily for the interview, is the first of two Biden White House aides scheduled to appear this week as part of the committee’s investigation. Former senior Biden advisor Mike Donilon is set to appear Thursday, and the committee is expected to hold more voluntary interviews in the coming weeks, including with former deputy chief of staff for policy Bruce Reed on Tuesday and former senior adviser to the president for communications Anita Dunn next Thursday.
In his opening statement, Ricchetti said he did not have any concerns that Biden couldn’t do the job.
“At all times during his presidency, I believed that President Biden was fully capable of exercising his Presidential duties and responsibilities, and that he did so. Neither I, nor anyone else, usurped President Biden’s constitutional duties, which he faithfully and fully carried out each and every day,” Richetti said.
“I am not aware of any effort to use the autopen on important documents without the President’s knowledge and consent. I am not aware of any effort to keep important information from the President. Senior White House staff kept the President fully informed so that he could provide direction and make all important decisions,” Ricchetti said.
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/30/polit...-ricchetti
teachings of the Bible are so muddled and self-contradictory that it was possible for Christians to happily burn heretics alive for five long centuries. It was even possible for the most venerated patriarchs of the Church, like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, to conclude that heretics should be tortured (Augustine) or killed outright (Aquinas). Martin Luther and John Calvin advocated the wholesale murder of heretics, apostates, Jews, and witches. - Sam Harris, "Letter To A Christian Nation"
