A newly released video from the House Oversight Committee is drawing national attention after a top adviser to former President Joe Biden acknowledged under oath that his compensation package included a multi-million-dollar bonus linked to a 2024 reelection victory. The disclosure, highlighted Tuesday by Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY), has intensified ongoing partisan disputes surrounding the administration’s transparency during the 2024 campaign.
According to the video, longtime Biden adviser Mike Donilon confirmed during a closed-door deposition that he would have been eligible for a $4 million bonus if Biden had won reelection—on top of what the committee says was a substantial base salary. The footage shows Donilon hesitating before answering questions about whether his compensation was tied to the campaign’s outcome.
Key Exchange From the Deposition
Investigators pressed Donilon on whether his contract included performance-based incentives.
“Would you have received a bonus depending on the way the campaign went?” one investigator asked.
After a pause, Donilon responded: “Yes, there was.”
When asked what conditions triggered the bonus, he said:
“That Joe Biden would have been reelected President of the United States.”
Donilon then confirmed that the amount attached to that outcome was “I believe it would have been $4 million.”
Republicans Claim Financial Motive to Withhold Health Information
House Republicans argue that the bonus structure supports earlier whistleblower allegations that senior aides had incentives to downplay or withhold concerns about Biden’s cognitive and physical health during the 2024 campaign.
Chairman Comer described the testimony as “a smoking gun.”
“Mike Donilon admitted under oath that he stood to make millions if Joe Biden could hold it together long enough to cross the finish line in 2024,” Comer said. “That bonus wasn’t about merit — it was about maintaining the illusion of competence. It’s corruption by incentive.”
The claims form part of the committee’s broader investigation into what they call the “autopen scandal,” in which some aides allegedly used mechanical signature devices to approve official documents when Biden was unavailable—an accusation Democrats strongly dispute.
Context: Donilon’s Role in Biden’s Inner Circle
Donilon has been one of Biden’s closest strategists for years and played a major role in shaping campaign messaging in both 2020 and 2024. Oversight investigators say internal records indicate he continued advising the president even as Biden’s public appearances decreased in 2023 and 2024.
Republican staff summaries of interviews claim that several witnesses invoked their Fifth Amendment rights when asked about Biden’s daily schedule, medical supervision, and cognitive condition.
A memo from committee staff states that some aides were “unwilling to say when they last saw President Biden conscious and responsive,” alleging a “culture of silence” surrounding the president’s health.
Democrats Dismiss Allegations as Politically Motivated
Democrats on the committee sharply rejected the released footage, arguing that it was selectively edited and designed to create misleading narratives during an election year.
Some Democratic strategists, speaking anonymously to media outlets, acknowledged the optics were damaging, even if the claims remain disputed.
“It looks terrible,” one strategist told Politico. “The idea of multimillion-dollar incentives tied to keeping him on the ticket — that’s indefensible politically, regardless of context.”
Bonus Structure Under Scrutiny
Oversight Republicans say Donilon’s contract was negotiated through the Biden Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee that raised hundreds of millions from donors during the 2023–2024 election cycle. According to investigators, the bonus clause explicitly tied compensation to the successful reelection of President Biden.
Sources familiar with the probe claim that other aides also had performance-based compensation tied to campaign outcomes, though none reportedly as large as Donilon’s.
Donilon maintained in his testimony that he never lied about Biden’s health, despite past public comments reiterating that Biden was “as sharp and focused as ever.” Republicans argue those statements conflict with the testimony and internal communications they’ve reviewed.
What Happens Next
Following the video release, several House Republicans called on the Department of Justice to broaden its ongoing review into potential financial misconduct and whether senior staff intentionally obstructed oversight efforts.
Democrats, meanwhile, argue that the investigation is politically charged and lacks verified evidence of wrongdoing.
As the inquiry continues, the dispute over Donilon’s bonus and the broader questions about the administration’s transparency remain central to the Oversight Committee’s expanding probe.
Leave a Reply