Justice Department Investigates Biden Final Pardons Autopen Use

President Donald Trump has directed the Department of Justice to investigate the legitimacy of pardons issued by President Joe Biden during his final days in office, focusing on whether Biden used an autopen device and if he was mentally competent at the time. DOJ pardon attorney Ed Martin is examining whether Biden's use of an autopen was appropriate and if others may have taken advantage of him, particularly concerning pardons granted to Biden's family and 37 federal death-row inmates. Trump and his allies allege that the autopen use undermines the validity of these pardons, despite longstanding DOJ memos affirming the legality of autopen signatures since Thomas Jefferson's presidency. The investigation follows reports that Biden's aides may have concealed his cognitive decline and that the autopen was used on days Biden was physically present in the Oval Office. Trump has also criticized the autopen's role in the broader administration, linking it to perceived failures such as Iran's nuclear progress. Top Democrats deny any misuse of the autopen, and previous DOJ statements have suggested such use is not inherently problematic.