Trump DOJ Investigating Biden's Last-Minute Pardons Amid Concerns Over Mental Fitness and AutoPen Usage

Trump DOJ Investigating Biden's Last-Minute Pardons Amid Concerns Over Mental Fitness and AutoPen Usage

Washington, D.C. – June 4, 2025

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), under the administration of President Donald Trump, has reportedly launched an investigation into several last-minute pardons and commutations issued by former President Joe Biden in the final weeks of his term. The inquiry includes concerns over the use of an AutoPen to sign official documents and questions about Biden’s cognitive fitness during those critical decisions.

According to a Fox News report on Tuesday, Pardon Attorney Ed Martin is currently reviewing the list of pardons granted during Biden’s final days in office. While the full scope of the investigation remains unclear, Reuters has reported that a preemptive pardon allegedly granted to Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, and the commutation of death sentences for 35 federal inmates to life imprisonment are among the matters under review.

The DOJ has not yet made any formal comments regarding the nature or extent of the investigation.

During his final days in office, President Biden issued clemency to more than 1,500 individuals, which the White House hailed as “the largest single-day act of clemency in American history.” However, this mass issuance of pardons has drawn intense scrutiny.

Critics argue that some individuals who received pardons were involved in large-scale financial fraud, defrauding American taxpayers of millions of dollars. The inclusion of Biden’s family members and close associates in the clemency list has further fueled controversy, especially amid allegations of favoritism and ethical lapses.

The use of an AutoPen—a device that replicates a person’s signature—on some of the pardons has also raised legal and procedural concerns, especially regarding whether Biden personally authorized all the clemency decisions.

This investigation could have significant implications for Biden’s presidential legacy and spark renewed debate over ethical standards and transparency in the exercise of executive clemency.