Former President Joe Biden has pushed back strongly against Republican-led claims questioning the legality and legitimacy of the clemency orders he issued during the final days of his presidency. In a phone interview with The New York Times, Biden insisted that he personally approved every pardon and authorized the use of an autopen to sign the documents.
“All the decisions were mine,” Biden said. “The autopen was used because we were dealing with a large number of people, but every single clemency action was my call.”
The former president labeled the accusations “ridiculous and false,” and accused former President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans of lying in an effort to discredit him.
Controversy Over Family Pardons and High-Profile Figures
At the heart of the controversy are several pardons Biden issued to family members—including his brothers James and Frank Biden, sister Valerie Biden Owens, and their spouses—as well as the high-profile pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of federal tax and gun-related charges.
Biden defended the family pardons, saying they were preemptive measures to shield loved ones from “politically motivated investigations” he believes would have followed his exit from office.
In addition, Biden granted clemency to several public figures, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, and members of the House committee that investigated the January 6 Capitol insurrection.
Republicans Question Biden’s Mental Fitness
The Trump administration, the Department of Justice, and House Republicans have all launched inquiries into Biden’s mental capacity at the time the clemency orders were issued. GOP lawmakers argue that if Biden was mentally unfit, any documents signed with an autopen might be invalid.
House Republicans have subpoenaed Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s former personal physician, but O’Connor has declined to testify, invoking his Fifth Amendment rights. His attorney, David Schertler, said O’Connor was protecting both patient confidentiality and himself amid the ongoing DOJ investigation into the matter.
“This refusal to testify raises red flags,” said Rep. James Comer, chair of the House Oversight Committee. “The American people deserve to know who was really in charge.”
Biden Allies and White House Staff Under the Microscope
The committee has also issued subpoenas to several top aides from Biden’s administration, including former Chiefs of Staff Ron Klain and Jeff Zients, senior advisors Mike Donilon and Anita Dunn, and Anthony Bernal, who served as chief of staff to then-First Lady Jill Biden.
With the Trump administration waiving executive privilege for many of these individuals, the committee aims to dig deeper into Biden’s role and decision-making ability in his final months in office.
Democrats Call Investigation a Political Smokescreen
Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the Oversight Committee, criticized the investigation as a politically motivated effort to undermine Biden and distract from Trump-era controversies.
“Instead of addressing real issues like the economy or investigating Donald Trump’s ongoing ethics violations, Republicans are wasting time chasing conspiracy theories about a former president,” Garcia said.
The Oversight Committee is expected to publish a full report once its investigation concludes.
