House Republicans are intensifying their investigation into President Joe Biden’s use of the autopen to authorize a series of last-minute executive actions during his final days in office—including 32 preemptive pardons, notably for his son Hunter Biden and brother James.
Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, is leading the probe, which now focuses on five former White House aides who face a Thursday deadline to comply or face subpoenas. At issue is whether Biden personally approved the actions or if unelected staffers executed them without his direct oversight, raising constitutional concerns about the delegation of presidential authority.
Comer said the investigation is aimed at uncovering who was actually making critical decisions in the White House, warning that Congress will not tolerate stonewalling. While the autopen is a legally accepted tool for signing documents, Republicans argue its use becomes deeply problematic if it’s not clearly authorized by the president himself—especially in cases involving sweeping pardons.
The aides under scrutiny include Anthony Bernal, Annie Tomasini, Neera Tanden, Ashley Williams, and Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s longtime physician, reported The Washington Examiner.
Four out of the five former Biden White House officials tapped for congressional interviews have made initial contact with the committee via their lawyers since the chairman sent his letters on May 22, a source familiar with the panel’s work told the Washington Examiner.
However, no contact had been received as of Thursday evening from Kevin O’Connor, the longtime Biden physician who once touted the former president as “fit” to fulfill his duties during his single term in office. Earlier this month, Biden revealed he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
“We expect all witnesses to fully comply with the Committee’s investigation. The Committee will issue subpoenas if necessary,” the source said.
Beyond the pardons, the probe has expanded to include allegations of a White House cover-up regarding Biden’s cognitive decline. Committee staff say the investigation will proceed with or without voluntary cooperation, and failure to engage will trigger subpoenas.
Additional former aides—among them Ron Klain, Mike Donilon, Anita Dunn, Karine Jean-Pierre, Bob Bauer, and even First Lady Jill Biden—may also be called to testify. But the pardon for Hunter Biden, sweeping in scope and timing, remains the central flashpoint.
With Biden now out of office and his aides no longer shielded by executive privilege, Comer has vowed to get answers regarding recent reports that the White House was really run by a “politburo.”
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Since Use autopen Invalid pardons
WHY would slow joe use the auto pen instead of actually signing the documents by hand – unless he got writer’s cramps or something.