Fear for one's life is probably as "valid" a reason as you will find. The only reason you need is the one that makes sense to you.
I've read elsewhere that he also pleaded doctor-patient confidentiality, and that is a legitimate objection. Unless he had signed an agreement to waive that as a term of his responsibility to the Executive branch.
Fear for ones life is not a valid reason to plead the fifth unless you are fearing for your life from execution by the judgement of a court.
That it would implicate you in a crime or tort is the only valid reason to plead the fifth, that you are "bearing witness against yourself".
Maybe that and doctor patient confidentially are protected by some other law or precedent, but it isn't the fifth amendment.
If you plead the fifth because you fear reprisal from witnessing against someone else, rather than fearing reprisal for witness against yourself, that would be perjury.
Look, "valid" is a poor word to use when there is no test of validity that can ever be applied. No court stands in judgment over one's RIGHT to plead the 5th Amendment, so your objection itself is not valid. One can plead that right at one's own discretion. Pleading the 5th is not perjury, because there would be no testimony to charge as perjured.
Fear for one's life is probably as "valid" a reason as you will find. The only reason you need is the one that makes sense to you.
I've read elsewhere that he also pleaded doctor-patient confidentiality, and that is a legitimate objection. Unless he had signed an agreement to waive that as a term of his responsibility to the Executive branch.
Fear for ones life is not a valid reason to plead the fifth unless you are fearing for your life from execution by the judgement of a court.
That it would implicate you in a crime or tort is the only valid reason to plead the fifth, that you are "bearing witness against yourself".
Maybe that and doctor patient confidentially are protected by some other law or precedent, but it isn't the fifth amendment.
If you plead the fifth because you fear reprisal from witnessing against someone else, rather than fearing reprisal for witness against yourself, that would be perjury.
Look, "valid" is a poor word to use when there is no test of validity that can ever be applied. No court stands in judgment over one's RIGHT to plead the 5th Amendment, so your objection itself is not valid. One can plead that right at one's own discretion. Pleading the 5th is not perjury, because there would be no testimony to charge as perjured.