Joe Biden Admits to Not Approving Individual Pardons

_WHAT’S HAPPENING_

In a newly released New York Times interview, former President Joe Biden admitted he did not personally review every individual case in the mass clemency orders issued during the final weeks of his presidency.

Instead, his staff used an autopen to sign off on thousands of pardons and commutations, including preemptive pardons for political allies and family members. Biden claims he approved the broad categories and standards, while aides made the calls on specific individuals.

_THE FACTS_

• Biden’s staff used an autopen — a machine that replicates one’s signature — to sign 25 clemency warrants between December 2024 and January 2025.

• Two of those warrants covered nearly 4,000 people, including 2,500 convicted of crack cocaine offenses.

• Biden admitted he did not review each name, only the criteria for eligibility.

• Staff secretary Stefanie Feldman managed the autopen and executed the signatures based on internal “blurbs” claiming Biden had approved them.

• However, most of the aides who wrote those blurbs were not present when Biden allegedly gave oral approval.

• The day before Biden left office, Chief of Staff Jeff Zients emailed final approval for autopen use on a list of pardons, including for Dr. Anthony Fauci and Gen. Mark Milley.

• President Donald Trump has called the autopen use a “crime” and accused Biden’s aides of running the presidency without his knowledge.

• The DOJ and House Oversight Committee are investigating whether Biden’s mental decline was covered up through the use of an autopen.

• Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) stated he is reissuing his criminal referral of Dr. Fauci to the DOJ.

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