“The question naturally arises that, if those statements are defensible, why does Dr. O’Connor not want to defend them? Why will he not stand firmly behind his own words?”
Bingo.
HIPAA be damned for COVID but want to ask me about public statements I made, sorry can’t help you.
So, simple question here. If the 5th Amemdment is about self incrimination, what is the crime he doesn’t want to self incriminate on ? This has nothing to do with patient confidentially.
You are correct, that asserting the Fifth Amendment has nothing to do with patient confidentiality. As for what crime might be involved, legally one cannot infer that any specific crime is involved, only that one fears the testimony might be used against oneself in a criminal proceeding.
However, it does beg the question of how the testimony could be used against the not-so-good doctor. Which is itself a question Comer may very well wish to pursue.
That basic fact that your actions and decisions have an effect on 350 million possibly 8 billion people trumps (no pun intended) doctor/patient confidentiality.
What trumps patient confidentiality is the Congressional subpoena. Unless the courts were willing to quash it, patient confidentiality is effectively nullified.
It’s like the DNC’s whole campaign strategy these last four years was “but Trump” in public and a combination of “nah, it’ll be fine” and “we’ll worry about it when we get there” in private.
I believe that was exactly what their strategy has been. Treating Donald Trump as an existential crisis rendered the question of what to do in the aftermath moot (existential crises by definition are about mere survival, subordinating all other concerns).
The problem is they now are faced with that aftermath, and Trump proved not to be a political apocalypse.
Somehow Gilda Radner's famous "never mind" seems appropriate here.
Perfectly reasoned, bitingly stated. Peter, your ability to argue in logical terms in a lethal thing of wonder!
So, let’s assume Dr. O’Connor is within his rights to plead the fifth. Someone likely told him to cover things up, and my legal question is, does that person also have the right to plead the fifth?
My understanding is there is one exception: when it would not be possible for any legal liability to result from the testimony. Pretend I am an environmentalist giving testimony on my pet subject. A hostile Senator asks questions that have the potential to embarrass me before my radical peers. “Do you cut your lawn to three inches or four?” I cannot plead the fifth on such a question, as I understand it.
“The question naturally arises that, if those statements are defensible, why does Dr. O’Connor not want to defend them? Why will he not stand firmly behind his own words?”
Bingo.
HIPAA be damned for COVID but want to ask me about public statements I made, sorry can’t help you.
So, simple question here. If the 5th Amemdment is about self incrimination, what is the crime he doesn’t want to self incriminate on ? This has nothing to do with patient confidentially.
You are correct, that asserting the Fifth Amendment has nothing to do with patient confidentiality. As for what crime might be involved, legally one cannot infer that any specific crime is involved, only that one fears the testimony might be used against oneself in a criminal proceeding.
However, it does beg the question of how the testimony could be used against the not-so-good doctor. Which is itself a question Comer may very well wish to pursue.
That basic fact that your actions and decisions have an effect on 350 million possibly 8 billion people trumps (no pun intended) doctor/patient confidentiality.
What trumps patient confidentiality is the Congressional subpoena. Unless the courts were willing to quash it, patient confidentiality is effectively nullified.
It’s like the DNC’s whole campaign strategy these last four years was “but Trump” in public and a combination of “nah, it’ll be fine” and “we’ll worry about it when we get there” in private.
I believe that was exactly what their strategy has been. Treating Donald Trump as an existential crisis rendered the question of what to do in the aftermath moot (existential crises by definition are about mere survival, subordinating all other concerns).
The problem is they now are faced with that aftermath, and Trump proved not to be a political apocalypse.
Somehow Gilda Radner's famous "never mind" seems appropriate here.
There is info the doc had a long standing business relationship with the Biden family. Lots o money involved.
https://www.youtube.com/live/fLAbLvehHfg?si=T4KDQuVKjLl1yI15
This might not be the link.
Perfectly reasoned, bitingly stated. Peter, your ability to argue in logical terms in a lethal thing of wonder!
So, let’s assume Dr. O’Connor is within his rights to plead the fifth. Someone likely told him to cover things up, and my legal question is, does that person also have the right to plead the fifth?
The right to plead the fifth is well nigh absolute. Only a grant of immunity can vitiate it
My understanding is there is one exception: when it would not be possible for any legal liability to result from the testimony. Pretend I am an environmentalist giving testimony on my pet subject. A hostile Senator asks questions that have the potential to embarrass me before my radical peers. “Do you cut your lawn to three inches or four?” I cannot plead the fifth on such a question, as I understand it.