President Biden’s Use of Autopen for Pardons

Former President Joe Biden clarified that he did not personally sign each pardon granted at the end of his term using an automatic signature. However, he did outline the standards for these pardons to his staff.

During his last months in office, Biden issued four significant pardons that have drawn attention recently.

Internal Processes Revealed

According to reports, Biden established the criteria for granting these pardons, but his team ultimately compiled a list of names that were adjusted based on the requirements he set. These names were finalized using an autopen.

Biden did not approve each individual name for the amnesties. Instead, he worked closely with his aides to agree on the criteria for eligibility. After he made this decision, some adjustments were made to the list based on additional information from the Prisons Bureau. Rather than asking Biden to sign off on the revisions, his staff opted to use the autopen, which they deemed a standard practice.

Emails reviewed from the Biden administration indicate that then-Representative Stephanie Feldman managed the autopen process.

Hunter Biden’s Pardon and Its Signature

It’s been suggested that Hunter Biden’s pardon might feature a different signature, raising questions about the authenticity of these pardons.

The emails reveal that Biden communicated his intentions in meetings with senior advisors, including Prime Minister Jeffrey Jeans and White House lawyer Ed Siskel, about the pardoning process.

Feldman reportedly worked to ensure that senior advisors like Zients and Siskel provided approvals for the documents related to Biden’s instructions.

For instance, on January 19, the day before Biden left office, Zients gave his approval on a summary draft after receiving an email request for it.

Overall, this situation continues to spark discussion about Biden’s cognitive abilities and the appropriateness of using an autopen for such important decisions regarding pardons.