Committee says aides may have issued pardons and orders without the president’s authorization; urges criminal review of senior staff.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The House Oversight Committee on Tuesday demanded a Justice Department investigation into every executive action taken during the Biden administration, alleging that multiple orders and clemency decisions may have been issued without former President Joe Biden’s direct approval.
In a 91-page report released early Tuesday, the Republican-led panel concluded that Biden’s aides “may have used the presidential autopen” — a mechanical device that reproduces a person’s signature — to validate official documents “without his knowledge.” The report claims that the committee “finds numerous executive actions, particularly clemency actions, taken during the Biden administration were illegitimate,” and therefore “void.”
“The Committee requests that you investigate all executive actions taken during the Biden administration to ascertain whether they are duly authorized by the President of the United States,” Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) wrote in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was appointed by President Donald Trump earlier this year.
The Biden Autopen Presidency Decline Delusion and Deception in the White House 2025.10.24.PDF UPDATED Oct. 28 by yourNEWS Media
According to the findings, aides allegedly used the autopen to issue pardons and commutations for Biden’s family members and others “without confirmed presidential authorization or proper documentation.” The report, compiled over several months before the government shutdown began, relies on interviews with 14 former Biden staffers and internal correspondence from his final months in office.
Several senior aides, including Annie Tomasini and Anthony Bernal, invoked the Fifth Amendment during questioning, while the report recommends the Justice Department determine whether criminal consequences may be warranted. It also accuses Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s longtime physician, of concealing the president’s cognitive decline and refers him to the District of Columbia’s medical board for review.
The panel further names former White House staff secretary Neera Tanden as the official who oversaw the autopen process and claims former Chief of Staff Jeff Zients authorized its use. Zients told investigators Biden’s decision-making had slowed in his later years and that policy discussions often required multiple meetings to reach conclusions.
