The GOP-led House Oversight Committee has declared that presidential pardons signed by autopen during former US President Joe Biden’s presidency are “void”, citing “cognitive decline” and raising doubts over whether Biden personally approved the clemency decisions.
In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, the committee urged her to investigate and consider prosecution against several former Biden aides.
“The committee deems void President Biden’s executive actions that were signed using the Autopen,” it stated, releasing a 93-page report alleging a “cover-up” of Biden’s alleged cognitive decline and a lack of evidence showing he made those decisions himself.
The committee “deems void President Biden’s executive actions that were signed using the Autopen, and the committee determines that action by the Department of Justice is warranted to address the legal consequences of that determination,” it wrote to Bondi in the letter released Tuesday morning.
Biden has dismissed such claims, saying he made every decision during his presidency and calling Republicans “liars”. The report includes interviews with 14 former senior aides, none of whom provided direct evidence that others made the clemency decisions.
Democratic Representative Robert Garcia, the ranking member, condemned the report as a “sham investigation”, asserting that “every White House official testified President Biden fully executed his duties.” Aides, including Jeff Zients, Ron Klain, and Neera Tanden, defended the autopen process, saying Biden always authorized its use.
The committee asked the Justice Department to probe aides Anthony Bernal, Annie Tomasini, and Dr Kevin O’Connor, who invoked the Fifth Amendment. It also requested that Washington, DC’s medical board review O’Connor’s conduct for allegedly issuing misleading medical reports.
Former staffers testified that Biden made his own decisions, though the committee cited unclear documentation of his direct involvement. It claimed the approval process for pardons involving Biden’s family, Dr Anthony Fauci, and General Mark Milley was conducted through intermediaries.
Biden’s spokesperson dismissed the findings as baseless and said, “There was no conspiracy, no cover-up, and no wrongdoing.”
Legal experts note that even if the committee deems the pardons invalid, no precedent exists for revoking a presidential pardon once granted.
