By Newspot Nigeria Staff Reporter
The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a formal investigation into former President Joe Biden’s final-hour clemency decisions — focusing on the controversial use of an autopen, a mechanical signature device, to authorize presidential pardons.
An internal memo obtained by Reuters revealed that U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin is leading the probe to determine whether Biden was mentally fit to issue the pardons and whether aides misused his authority by employing the autopen without direct oversight.
The inquiry casts a spotlight on preemptive pardons Biden granted to close family members — including his brother Jim Biden, sister Valerie Owens, and her husband John Owens — as well as high-profile figures like Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, and several January 6 Committee members.
🚨 President Donald Trump has fiercely criticized the clemencies. “They weren’t even signed by him,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “It’s fraud — plain and simple.” His remarks align with those of the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project, which previously flagged that nearly every Biden document bore the same autopen signature — except his announcement withdrawing from the 2024 race.
“Who controlled the autopen?” the Oversight Project asked in a March report. “Because whoever did, controlled the presidency.”
While Martin acknowledged that autopen use itself is not unprecedented — and not necessarily illegal — he emphasized that questions of intent, mental competency, and potential abuse of authority must be addressed. “The question isn’t just how the signature was made, but who made the decision and why,” he told ABC News last month.
Legal experts remain divided. Some cite a 2011 Office of Legal Counsel opinion supporting autopen use when authorized by the president. Others argue that pardons involving family members and mental capacity concerns demand stricter scrutiny.
As the case unfolds, it has reignited national debates about executive power, presidential accountability, and the ethical boundaries of digital governance.
📰 Newspot Nigeria will provide continuing coverage of this unfolding legal and political firestorm from Washington.
