President Joe Biden delivers remarks during an event to welcome his new chief of staff, Jeffrey Zients, in the East Room of the White House on Feb. 1, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Before that, he served as counselor to the president and White House COVID-19 response coordinator from Biden's swearing-in in January 2021 until April 2022.
Perhaps most critical to the committee is Zients' reported key role in the chain of command for Biden's autopen pardons.
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It's not uncommon for presidents to use an autopen to sign documents, and it has been used by leaders on both sides of the aisle.
However, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., is questioning whether Biden was really handing down those decisions, given public concerns about his mental and physical acuity that arose toward the end of his term.
Zients is the final ex-Biden official currently slated to appear before the House Oversight Committee. (Fox News)
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"You managed a White House in disarray after public reporting began to focus on the apparent decline of President Biden’s mental capabilities. You reportedly called an all-staff call in July 2024 ‘in which [you] urged President Biden’s team to unite and move forward from Biden’s terrible debate performance[.],’" Comer wrote in a June letter to Zients.
"The scope of your responsibilities — both official and otherwise — and personal interactions within the Oval Office cannot go without investigation. If White House staff carried out a strategy lasting months or even years to hide the chief executive’s condition — or to perform his duties — Congress may need to consider a legislative response."
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bidens-ex-chief-staff-arrives-house-oversight-grilling-mental-acuity-probe-nears-end