In a stunning turn that’s igniting headlines and shaking the D.C. establishment, the Department of Justice under President Donald Trump is officially investigating the final flurry of pardons issued by former President Joe Biden. What makes this probe especially volatile? At the heart of it: family favors, death row commutations, and the president’s reliance on an autopen—a machine used to stamp his name on official documents—during a time when serious questions swirled about his mental fitness.
The Autopen Presidency: Who Was Actually Signing?
One of the most disturbing revelations isn’t just who Biden pardoned—but how. During his final weeks in office, Biden used an autopen to authorize over 1,500 clemency orders, making it the largest single-day clemency action in U.S. history. While previous administrations have used the autopen in limited, ceremonial circumstances, sources inside the DOJ confirm that Biden’s use was widespread—and possibly strategic. At a time when whistleblowers were raising alarms about his mental sharpness, the idea that a machine may have rubber-stamped life-and-death decisions has raised red flags even among legal scholars.
Hunter Biden and the Inner Circle: Preemptive Pardons Under Scrutiny
According to DOJ insiders and reports from Reuters and The Times, special attention is being paid to the preemptive pardons issued to five members of Biden’s inner circle—including his embattled son, Hunter Biden. These weren’t just controversial—they were anticipatory. Critics argue these pardons were granted not as a matter of justice, but as political insurance, shielding those closest to the president from future prosecution. Now, with Trump’s DOJ digging into the details, the American public may finally get transparency on what some are calling “the Biden cover-up by proxy.”
Death Row Deals: 37 Sentences Quietly Commuted
Beyond family members, Biden also commuted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates, reducing their punishment to life in prison. These moves were made quietly, without extensive public justification, and just days before he left office. The sheer scope of this clemency—combined with the timing and lack of vetting due to Biden’s own health crisis—has prompted concerns that politically motivated actors within the administration may have exploited his decline to push through a last-minute agenda.
Legal Legitimacy or Abuse of Power?
There’s precedent for autopen use—dating back to a 2005 DOJ memo affirming its legality—but never at this scale and never under this kind of cognitive cloud. Biden’s defenders argue that the president was well within his rights, and that all clemency decisions were reviewed by his team. But that’s exactly the problem. Who was the team? Were unelected staffers making final calls under cover of legal ambiguity while the president was physically present but mentally absent? These are the questions now fueling the DOJ’s review.
Trump’s DOJ: Accountability Finally Has Teeth
Trump’s Department of Justice is not treating this like political theater. The probe is being led by Pardon Attorney Ed Martin, and according to sources familiar with the review, it’s a broad audit—not just a symbolic gesture. With public confidence in government already low, this investigation sends a message: Presidential powers are not above scrutiny. Especially not when they’re used to protect political allies in secretive, eleventh-hour decisions.
Why This Story Matters Now
This investigation is not just about the past. It’s about the standard we set for executive accountability moving forward. The idea that a president could sign off on hundreds of controversial pardons using a mechanical device—possibly while impaired—and grant immunity to his own family is more than a legal gray area. It’s a constitutional alarm bell. The Biden administration spent years dodging questions about his cognitive health. Now, the fallout is catching up.
Final Thoughts: The Pardon Legacy of Joe Biden
Whether the probe leads to charges or not, one thing is clear: Joe Biden’s legacy as president is now tethered to a stack of pardons issued in ink—but possibly without intention. Americans deserve to know who was really making decisions in those final weeks. Was it the President of the United States? Or was it the machine, the handlers, and the insiders who quietly took the wheel?
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