Inside Biden confidante Steve Ricchetti’s ‘combative’ interview in Home probe

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A member of former President Joe Biden's interior circle sat with Home Oversight Committee investigators for a marathon closed-door interview that lasted greater than eight hours on Wednesday.

Steve Ricchetti, who served as counselor to the president for all 4 years of Biden's time period, was described as "combative and defensive" throughout his voluntary assembly, a supply acquainted with the sitdown advised Fox Information Digital.

The supply described Ricchetti as defiant within the face of doubts about Biden's psychological acuity, although he "admitted that all of them knew President Biden’s age was a problem and have been coping with it as a political matter," they mentioned.

"Mr. Ricchetti acknowledged that he believed President Biden had the flexibility to be president and that he was performing the capability of president on daily basis. He believes that Joe Biden is succesful to being president at the moment, and that he may have received in 2024," the supply advised Fox Information Digital.

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Former counselor to the president Steve Ricchetti met with Home investigators on Wednesday (Getty Photos)

Ricchetti, a longtime Democratic operative and lobbyist, first started working for Biden in March 2012 when he was appointed counselor to the vice chairman underneath former President Barack Obama. He was elevated to be Biden's chief of workers in December 2013.

He touted his closeness to Biden during the last 13 years, the supply mentioned, and described having private relationships with former first girl Jill Biden and Hunter Biden as effectively.

Ricchetti's personal youngsters have been additionally near the White Home throughout Biden's tenure – not less than three of them had jobs within the Democratic administration in some unspecified time in the future.

Home Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is investigating whether or not Biden's high White House aides hid indicators of psychological decline within the president, and if that meant government actions have been signed through autopen with out his data.

Ricchetti has had a relationship with Biden for over a decade. (Jonathan Ernst)

Ricchetti is the seventh ex-Biden aide to come back in, however simply the fourth to seem on voluntary phrases. Former White Home physician Kevin O'Connor and former White Home aides Annie Tomasini and Anthony Bernal all pleaded the Fifth Amendment to keep away from answering questions.

Ricchetti advised investigators that he was not concerned in O'Connor's bodily analysis letters for Biden, "however he did have conversations with senior workers on talk and current President Biden’s bodily analysis letters," the supply advised Fox Information Digital.

He additionally defended Biden's frequent gaffes, describing them as "widespread errors" that anybody may make, the supply mentioned.

"He mentioned the frequency of those errors haven't elevated since Joe Biden was vice chairman," the supply mentioned.

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The vast majority of questioning in the course of the eight-hour session got here from Republicans – the supply mentioned Democrats steadily tried to alter the subject to debate President Donald Trump .

Ricchetti mentioned nothing to reporters when leaving the assembly on Wednesday night.

No lawmakers have been current for the sitdown, as is normally the case with such transcribed interviews.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox Information Digital main protection of the Home of Representatives. Earlier digital bylines seen at Each day Mail and CBS Information.