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Emails Show Questions Raised Over Use of Autopen in White House Clemency Process

House Oversight Committee probes legality and ethics of over 4,000 clemency actions signed by autopen during Biden's final months, amid concerns about his personal approval and cognitive state.

  • New internal emails show President Joe Biden did not review thousands of pardons, which Department of Justice officials processed using the autopen.
  • In the closing weeks of the presidency, Biden approved 2,490 commutations on Jan. 17 and granted 4,245 total clemency acts, most in U.S. history.
  • Then‑White House Staff Secretary Stef Feldman sought proof of Biden's approval before autopen use, a West Wing lawyer stated `He doesn’t review the warrants`, and senior DOJ ethics official Bradley Weinsheimer resigned over violent offenders granted clemency.
  • The House Oversight Committee has opened an investigation into autopen clemency use and will hear testimony from Jeff Zients, former White House Chief of Staff, on Sept. 18.
  • Legal reviewers now question the autopenned pardons, citing potential legal flaws and sparking debate over delegation of presidential authority and public trust in executive decisions.
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Just the News broke the news in Washington, United States on Thursday, September 4, 2025.
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