Dr. Kevin O’Connor, former White House physician to President Joe Biden, provided little information during his closed-door testimony before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, with the session wrapping up in under an hour.
During the interview, O’Connor repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment rights, declining to answer several key questions regarding his time treating President Biden. His refusal led to a swift conclusion to the session, which had initially been expected to last much longer.
Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) recounted to reporters two of the initial questions posed to the doctor. “I’m going to read the first two questions that were asked. ‘Were you ever told to lie about the president’s health?’ He pleaded the Fifth Amendment. He would not answer that question. The second question, ‘Did you ever believe President Biden was unfit to execute his duty?’” Comer said. “Again, President Biden’s White House physician pled the fifth. This is unprecedented, and I think that this adds more fuel to the fire that there was a cover-up.”
Fox News reports O’Connor’s legal team defended his decision to invoke the Fifth, arguing that the Committee’s line of questioning posed a threat to patient-physician confidentiality.
In a statement released following the session, O’Connor’s attorneys said, “This Committee has indicated to Dr. O’Connor and his attorneys that it does not intend to honor one of the most well-known privileges in our law — the physician-patient privilege. Instead, the Committee has indicated that it will demand that Dr. O’Connor reveal, without any limitations, confidential information regarding his medical examinations, treatment, and care of President Biden.”
They added, “Revealing confidential patient information would violate the most fundamental ethical duty of a physician, could result in revocation of Dr. O’Connor’s medical license, and would subject Dr. O’Connor to potential civil liability. Dr. O’Connor will not violate his oath of confidentiality to any of his patients, including President Biden.”
The Oversight Committee’s broader investigation is focused on allegations that President Biden’s top staff may have concealed signs of mental or physical decline during his time in office.
Comer suggested O’Connor’s legal stance may itself raise concerns. “Most people invoke the fifth when they have criminal liability. And so that’s what would appear on the surface here,” he said. “We’re going to continue to move forward. Obviously, I think his actions today speak loud and clear.”
However, O’Connor’s lawyers emphasized in their statement that asserting the Fifth is not an admission of wrongdoing. “We want to emphasize that asserting the Fifth Amendment privilege does not imply that Dr. O’Connor has committed any crime. In fact, to the contrary, as our Supreme Court has emphasized: ‘One of the Fifth Amendment’s basic functions is to protect innocent men who otherwise might be ensnared by ambiguous circumstances.’”
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), the only other lawmaker present alongside Comer during the testimony, defended O’Connor’s decision to remain silent. A former criminal defense attorney, Crockett challenged the assumption that pleading the Fifth is tantamount to guilt.
“As someone who has served as a criminal defense attorney and actually been in courtrooms, it’s kind of astounding to hear someone say, if you invoke the Fifth Amendment, that is only because you are guilty,” Crockett said.
She also referenced a separate DOJ probe, reportedly underway at the same time. “We have a constitutional right that anyone who may be under fire can invoke. And unfortunately, with this rogue DOJ, it has decided that it wants to run a contemporaneous investigation, criminal investigation, involving the doctor — I think he did what any good lawyer would advise him to do,” she said.
O’Connor’s legal team has asked the committee to suspend its inquiry until the Department of Justice completes its investigation. After just about thirty minutes inside, O’Connor and his attorneys exited the Capitol, declining to answer questions from the press. One lawyer stated they would be making “no comments to press” when approached by Fox News Digital.
Chairman Comer, meanwhile, reiterated that the committee’s work would continue.
“This is something I think every American is concerned about. I think that the American people want to know the truth. We’re going to continue this investigation. We’ll move forward,” he said. “We have several other witnesses that are going to come in for depositions and transcribed interviews. We will do everything in our ability to be transparent with the media and be transparent with the American people.”