WASHINGTON - For nearly a decade, Steve Ricchetti occupied a singular position in Joe Biden’s political life: trusted counselor, campaign chairman, and what some called a member of the president’s “inner circle.”

Now the Westlake native finds himself at the center of a congressional firestorm, defending his former boss against Republican allegations that Biden suffered from cognitive decline while in office — allegations Ricchetti categorically rejects.

“At all times during his presidency, I believed that President Biden was fully capable of exercising his presidential duties and responsibilities, and that he did so,” Ricchetti told House Oversight Committee investigators in a July interview, according to a transcript released on Oct. 28 alongside a Republican report on Biden’s mental st

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