Calls for Testimony over Autopen Use
On Tuesday, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican, urged for Stephanie Feldman, former President Biden’s Secretary General, to testify before Congress regarding the use of autopens during Biden’s administration.
A recent article from The New York Times stated that Biden utilized autopens to sign various documents, noting that Feldman managed their use. Hawley mentioned in an online discussion that Feldman’s testimony could suggest Biden didn’t personally approve any of the actions taken. He described the potential implications as possibly being “like a scandal of the century.”
Hawley stressed the importance of clarifying what Biden permitted and when. Speaking to host Steve Bannon, he emphasized, “We need to address this. We have the name of the individual overseeing the autopen operations. She must come before Congress and testify.” He expressed a belief that Biden might not have authorized anything at all, intensifying the idea that this situation is quite serious.
Hawley further stated that there should be a clear paper trail associated with the autopen’s use. He referred to a Senate hearing that occurred recently, where a key takeaway was the necessity for explicit records every time an autopen was used. He insisted that Biden should at least verbally approve its usage and that documentation of such approvals should exist.
Biden told The New York Times that he had instructed his staff to use autopens to grant numerous pardons, although he maintained he approved all pardons and commutations before the end of his presidency.
Biden also spoke about the pardons given to family members and public figures, like General Mark Milley and Dr. Anthony Fauci. He insisted he discussed these “well-known pardons” with his team. He expressed that he wanted to shield those beneficiaries from legal expenses linked to potential investigations by former President Donald Trump’s Justice Department.
“I consciously made all of these decisions,” he remarked.
The only pardon that Biden personally signed was for his son Hunter, which he executed in late December 2024. In total, he granted 25 pardons and commutations during that same period.
According to an email reviewed by The New York Times, there exists a process ensuring Biden’s staff verbally approved the use of the autopen. When Biden was issuing widespread pardons, he refrained from personally endorsing their guidelines but did approve them.
Political analyst Mark Halperin criticized The New York Times for lacking Republican viewpoints and legal expert analysis in their reporting. He pointed out the absence of a balanced approach, stating there should have been a range of opinions, especially from legal scholars who might characterize this situation as serious.
