Biden Defends Autopen Use in Pardon Process

Former President Joe Biden recently addressed the use of autopens during an interview, explaining his administration’s reasoning behind this technology, which has stirred some controversy.

In a conversation with the New York Times, Biden emphasized his reliance on the automatic pen while signing pardons as his presidency drew to a close.

Before leaving office, Biden exercised significant clemency, granting pardons to over 1,500 people—a move the White House labeled the largest single day of pardons by a U.S. president.

During his discussion with the Times, Biden insisted that he had “made all the decisions” regarding these pardons.

Controversial Pardons Often Signed by Autopen

“We’re talking about a lot of people,” Biden mentioned when referring to the pardons.

However, the Times indicated that Biden “did not individually approve each name of the amnesty” applied to many recipients.

Following extensive deliberations on the criteria for qualifying for clemency, Biden reportedly finalized the standards that would determine which inmates could receive sentence reductions. Rather than repeatedly executing the official document’s latest version, his team opted to use the autopen for his signature on the final paperwork.

His remarks coincided with growing criticism from Republicans, who have scrutinized Biden’s autopen usage across numerous official documents.

In June, former President Donald Trump instructed the Justice Department to investigate the autopen’s usage, questioning if it connected to concerns about Biden’s cognitive abilities.

Reactions and Criticism

Ultimately, one of the most talked-about pardons was indeed signed with his own hand, but many were not.

Trump commented that aides were misusing the power of the president’s signature through the autopen to mask any perceived decline in Biden’s cognitive state. He called this a serious scandal, suggesting that the public was intentionally kept in the dark about who was really using the enforcement powers.

Back in June, Trump also remarked to reporters that while past presidents have employed autopens, he found them “inappropriate.” He stressed that important documents usually require a genuine signature, as opposed to one produced by a machine.

“You really think that someone who has dedicated over four years in service deserves an autopen signature?” he questioned rhetorically.