WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — Neera Tanden, who was a top White House official, told the House Oversight Committee during a closed-door session on Tuesday that she was authorized to control President Joe Biden’s autopen from October 2021 through May 2023.
Tanden, who served as the Director of the Domestic Policy Council, confirmed under oath that she had permission to use and direct Biden’s autopen — a device used to automatically sign documents with the president’s signature. Her admission adds fuel to Republican-led claims that senior aides may have hidden the president’s cognitive health and used the autopen without transparency.
The closed-door testimony was part of an ongoing investigation into what House Oversight Chairman James Comer has called a “cover-up” involving Biden’s mental fitness and the use of his signature on official documents. Tanden said she was allowed to use the autopen but denied any misuse. She added that she was not aware of the full process behind each approval.
Sources told Fox News that Tanden described a vague chain of command. She said that after she sent a decision memo to Biden’s senior staff, she was not informed of who gave final approval. Tanden said she did not know what happened between the time she submitted the memo and when it was returned signed.
Lawmakers also questioned Tanden about whether she ever discussed Biden’s mental or physical health with colleagues. Her testimony covered the period around the president’s poorly received debate performance in 2024. Tanden said she never spoke about Biden’s fitness to serve, despite being a senior White House aide. She denied speaking to any of the officials listed by the committee, including some of Biden’s closest staff.
Tanden did not speak to reporters before the testimony but gave a brief statement afterward. “I just spoke with the House Oversight Committee, Majority and Minority Counsel. I answered every question, was pleased to discuss my public service, and it was a thorough process,” she said. When asked if there was an effort to hide Biden’s health condition, Tanden replied, “Absolutely not.”
The investigation is part of a broader probe by House Republicans into whether White House aides concealed Biden’s alleged mental decline. Comer recently identified five individuals who may have played a role in the matter.
Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s former White House physician, has been subpoenaed to appear before the Oversight Committee. Other planned witnesses include Anthony Bernal, former senior adviser to First Lady Jill Biden; Annie Tomasini, Biden’s former deputy chief of staff; and Ashley Williams, the former deputy director of Oval Office operations.
The committee is also seeking interviews with Ron Klain, Biden’s former chief of staff, and Anita Dunn, a former senior communications adviser. Republicans leading the investigation say they aim to determine whether top aides used the autopen to sign key documents without the president’s full awareness. They also want to know if any efforts were made to keep Biden’s health status hidden from the public or Congress.
The White House has denied any wrongdoing and insists that all autopen use followed proper legal and procedural steps. Critics argue that any misuse of the president’s signature could carry serious legal and constitutional consequences.
