Summary:
The Biden Autopen Scandal has deepened with revelations that thousands of clemency and executive actions were signed using an autopen rather than President Biden’s wet signature. The Oversight Project uncovered that Biden’s aides used the autopen without direct authorization, raising ethical and legal concerns. This has led to a House Oversight Committee investigation, subpoenas, and testimonies from key White House staff members.
What This Means for You:
- Increased Scrutiny on Executive Actions: This scandal highlights the need for transparency in presidential decisions, especially regarding clemency.
- Legal and Ethical Concerns: The use of an autopen without direct authorization could undermine trust in executive procedures.
- Accountability in Leadership: This case underscores the importance of verifying actions taken in a president’s name.
- Future Implications: Expect stricter regulations and oversight mechanisms for executive actions to prevent similar incidents.
Original Post:
The Biden Autopen Scandal just got worse.
The Oversight Project broke the story about the Biden autopen scandal wide open after they discovered thousands of acts of clemency and executive actions were signed with an autopen rather than a wet signature.
Earlier this year, the Oversight Project revealed six criminals were pardoned by Biden’s autopen on December 30, 2022, while Joe Biden was vacationing and golfing in St. Croix.
You were White House Staff Secretary when Biden autopenned pardons from the golf course in USVI.
This you? https://t.co/26z9C6cE7m pic.twitter.com/7btD2RTX0N
— Oversight Project (@ItsYourGov) March 17, 2025
Joe Biden defended the use of an autopen in a quick interview with the New York Times.
The New York Times also reviewed some of the emails that the National Archives handed over to the Trump DOJ as part of their investigation into the autopen scandal.
The emails revealed that Biden’s staffers made decisions to sign the pardons with the autopen without directly hearing the orders from Joe Biden.
Joe Biden told the New York Times that he “orally granted all the pardons and commutations issued at the end of his term” and lashed out at President Trump as a “liar” for claiming the autopen was used without his authorization.
“I made every decision,” Biden insisted during his phone interview with The Times.
According to The Times, staff secretary, Stefanie Feldman, put the clemency records through the autopen.
It was revealed that Joe Biden did not approve of each name for the pardons – AND after changes were made about the specific inmates, Biden did NOT sign off on the revised list. Rather, his aides just ran the final version through the autopen without Biden’s approval.
“Mr. Biden did not individually approve each name for the categorical pardons that applied to large numbers of people, he and aides confirmed. Rather, after extensive discussion of different possible criteria, he signed off on the standards he wanted to be used to determine which convicts would qualify for a reduction in sentence,” The New York Times reported.
“Even after Mr. Biden made that decision, one former aide said, the Bureau of Prisons kept providing additional information about specific inmates, resulting in small changes to the list. Rather than ask Mr. Biden to keep signing revised versions, his staff waited and then ran the final version through the autopen, which they saw as a routine procedure, the aide said,” according to The Times.
Additionally, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zeints actually approved pardons for Dr. Fauci and others on January 19:
At the Jan. 19 meeting, which took place in the Yellow Oval Room of the White House residence, Mr. Biden kept his aides until nearly 10 p.m. to talk through such decisions, according to people familiar with the matter.
The emails show that an aide to Mr. Siskel sent a draft summary of Mr. Biden’s decisions at that meeting to an assistant to Mr. Zients, copying Mr. Siskel, at 10:03 p.m. The assistant forwarded it to Mr. Reed and Mr. Zients, asking for their approval, and then sent a final version to Ms. Feldman — copying many meeting participants and aides — at 10:28 p.m.
Three minutes later, Mr. Zients hit “reply all” and wrote, “I approve the use of the autopen for the execution of all of the following pardons.”
The Oversight Committee, chaired by James Comer, opened an investigation into the autopen scandal and subpoenaed several Biden aides for documents and testimony.
Jill Biden’s Chief of Staff Anthony Bernal skipped his deposition. White House physician Dr. O’Connor pleaded the Fifth Amendment at least 10 times last week and refused to answer questions about Joe Biden’s health decline.
Ex-Biden official Neera Tanden recently admitted under oath to the House Oversight Committee during a closed-door testimony on Tuesday that she was one of the aides who controlled Joe Biden’s autopen.
Director of Domestic Policy Council Neera Tanden was brought before the Committee last month and admitted she was authorized to use Joe Biden’s autopen between October 2021 to May 2023.
According to the Washington Examiner, Neera Tanden testified that she was also authorized to direct the autopen; however, she denied manipulation or abuse.
Additionally, Neera Tanden admitted she would utilize the autopen without actually verifying from Joe Biden himself that it was an authorized action.
Extra Information:
New York Times Report – Detailed coverage of the Biden autopen scandal and its implications.
Washington Examiner – Insights on Neera Tanden’s testimony regarding the autopen authorization.
The Gateway Pundit – Exclusive details on Neera Tanden’s admissions during the House Oversight Committee testimony.
People Also Ask About:
- What is an autopen? An autopen is a machine that replicates a person’s signature.
- Is the use of an autopen legal? Yes, but its use without direct authorization raises ethical and legal concerns.
- Who authorized the use of Biden’s autopen? Several aides, including Neera Tanden, were authorized to use the autopen.
- What are the implications of the autopen scandal? It raises questions about transparency and accountability in executive actions.
- How is the House Oversight Committee responding? The committee has opened an investigation and subpoenaed key Biden aides.
Expert Opinion:
“The Biden autopen scandal underscores the critical need for transparency and accountability in executive decision-making. This incident could set a precedent for stricter oversight mechanisms to ensure that actions taken in a president’s name are fully authorized and ethically sound.”
Key Terms:
- Biden autopen scandal
- Executive actions
- Clemency pardons
- House Oversight Committee
- Neera Tanden testimony
- Ethical concerns in government
- Transparency in executive decisions
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