The White House counsel’s office has opened an unexpected investigation into former President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen to sign commutations and other official documents.
The probe is expected to cover up to one million documents, according to a senior administration official who spoke with Fox News.
This action follows efforts by House Republicans to examine the issue amid concerns over the validity of some high-profile commutations at the end of Biden’s term.
House Oversight Chair James Comer has issued subpoenas to former Biden aides, while the Justice Department continues its own review.
Former President Joe Biden told The New York Times, “I made every decision,” stressing that he personally chose each commutation rather than delegating authority.
He also said he “decided” on the preemptive pardons granted to targets President Trump, such as Gen. Mark Milley and members of the January 6 committee.
The probe was initiated after news of Biden’s autopen use drew fire from Trump allies.
President Trump labeled it “one of the biggest scandals that we’ve had in 50 to 100 years.”
He claimed, “I guarantee you he knew nothing about what he was signing.”
Trump also suggested Biden was suffering from mental decline and lacked awareness of his actions.
Meanwhile, press secretary Karoline Leavitt asserted that Biden’s use of an autopen had turned the presidency over to “unelected leftist staffers,” accusing them of making “terrible decisions that destroyed our country.”
She added, however, that the White House is “committed to finding the answers to the many outstanding questions the American people still have about how business in the Biden White House was conducted.”
Moreover, this White House investigation aligns with claims from Trump’s Republican allies in Congress, who argue that some commutations signed with the autopen might be invalid.
In addition to congressional scrutiny, the Justice Department is conducting its own legal review.
The former president, aged 82, who is battling prostate cancer and writing a memoir, defended his decision to use the autopen due to volume.
He said, “We’re talking about a whole lot of people.”
In support of the White House’s internal move, House Oversight Chair Comer condemned the decision by Dr. Kevin O’Connor to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights during testimony.
Comer argued, “Most people invoke the Fifth when they have criminal liability. And you know, that’s what it would appear (to be) on the surface here.”
Meanwhile, investigations by both the White House and Congress are expected to intensify over the coming weeks.
