Politics
JUST IN: DOJ Pardon Attorney Launches Probe Into Joe Biden’s Autopen Signatures
Ed Martin, who is set to assume his new role as the pardon attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice and the chief of Attorney General Pam Bondi’s weaponization [of government] working group, confirmed Tuesday that he plans to investigate the flood of last-minute pardons issued during former President Joe Biden’s final days in office.
Martin, who most recently served as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, pointed to former President Biden’s use of autopen as a point of concern during a press conference Tuesday.
An autopen is an electromechanical device designed to replicate a person’s signature with precision. It can be used by high-ranking officials, including U.S. presidents, to sign large volumes of documents without requiring their direct involvement. While it is legally recognized in certain cases, its use in signing critical legal documents—especially without clear oversight—has prompted questions about authenticity and accountability.
According to a report from the Oversight Project, an arm of the Heritage Foundation, every document bearing Biden’s signature—except for the letter announcing his withdrawal from the 2024 race—appears to have been signed by an autopen. The findings have put a spotlight on Biden’s cognitive state and whether unelected officials were making decisions on his behalf.
“I do think that the Biden pardons need some scrutiny. And they need scrutiny because we want pardons to matter and to be accepted and to be something that’s used correctly. So I do think we’re going to take a hard look at how they went and what they did,” Martin told ABC News during Tuesday’s press conference.
“If they’re null and void, I’m not sure how that operates, but I can tell you we’ve had already, I’ve had in my current position, or my position as US Attorney, we had been taking a look at some of the conduct surrounding the pardons and the Biden White House,” he said.
Former President Biden issued a number of controversial pardons during his final days in office, many of which were issued preemptively in order to shield a number of high-profile anti-Trump figures from “retaliation.”
Biden issued a series of preemptive pardons for Dr. Anthony Fauci, members of the January 6 Committee and General Mark Milley. The former president claimed that all of these individuals were in danger of “political targeting” from the Trump DOJ, even though all of these individuals have been accused of committing crimes.
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has recommended criminal charges against Dr. Anthony Fauci for lying to Congress, while the January 6 Committee has been accused of destroying evidence, coaching witnesses and selectively presenting evidence. Milley committed perhaps the most serious alleged offenses, as the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has bragged about calling the Chinese government in order to undermine Trump’s objectives.
President Trump has suggested that Biden’s last-minute pardons should be thoroughly investigated and perhaps voided.
“The ‘Pardons’ that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen,” the president posted on Truth Social back in March. “In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them! The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime.”
Martin did note that Biden’s use of autopen is “not necessarily” a cause for concern, though he did promise that a thorough investigation will be opened into the matter.
