President Biden’s final days in office were marked by a sweeping wave of pardons, but one stood out from the rest. Among the 1,500 clemency grants, only one was signed by hand—his son, Hunter Biden. Every other pardon was issued using an autopen, a device that replicates a signature without requiring the president’s physical involvement.
The Justice Department is now reviewing the extensive use of the autopen, raising concerns about executive authority and oversight. Biden’s administration touted the clemency spree as the largest single-day act of pardons in U.S. history, yet critics argue that the process lacked transparency. The blanket pardon for Hunter Biden shields him from prosecution for any federal crimes committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024.
Hunter Biden’s legal troubles have been widely documented. He was convicted of three felony firearm offenses and faced federal tax charges for failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes. Despite months of assurances that he would not interfere, Biden reversed course in December 2024, granting his son a full pardon. The decision sparked immediate backlash, with critics questioning whether the move was politically motivated.
The controversy extends beyond Hunter Biden. The autopen was reportedly used for nearly all executive actions and official documents, including pardons for Dr. Anthony Fauci, General Mark Milley, and members of the House committee investigating January 6. The Trump administration has launched an investigation into the widespread use of the device, alleging that it concealed Biden’s cognitive decline and allowed unelected officials to authorize key decisions.
The implications of this revelation are significant. The use of an autopen for mass pardons raises questions about presidential accountability and the legitimacy of executive actions. If Biden did not personally review each case, who made the decisions?
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