A top official from former President Donald Trump’s Justice Department, Ed Martin, has launched an investigation into clemency decisions made by President Joe Biden during his final days in office. Martin, who serves as the Justice Department’s pardon attorney, disclosed in an internal email that the probe will examine the use of the autopen and whether Biden was competent at the time.
The autopen, a device that replicates signatures, is central to the inquiry. Trump supporters have made repeated, though unsubstantiated, claims that Biden’s use of the autopen casts doubt on the legitimacy of his presidential decisions. It remains unclear whether the device was used to sign the pardons in question.
The investigation centers around preemptive pardons issued to several members of Biden’s family and the commutation of 37 death sentences to life imprisonment. Biden’s stated reason for pardoning five of his relatives—including his son Hunter and siblings James, Frank, and Valerie Biden—was to protect them from potential politically motivated investigations.
While Martin’s email didn’t clarify who ordered the probe, he confirmed that the investigation into Biden’s use of the autopen and the decision-making process behind the pardons has been underway for some time. He also revealed that a whistleblower, described as a senior Democrat with ties to the 2020 Biden campaign, has come forward with serious allegations.
According to Martin, the whistleblower accused key Biden aides of controlling access to the president and profiting from the clemency process. The individuals named include Ron Klain, Anita Dunn, Robert Bauer, Steve Ricchetti, and First Lady Jill Biden. Martin added that the whistleblower ruled out involvement from Susan Rice.
In an interview, Martin stressed the need to investigate thoroughly, citing the need to “protect the process” and maintain trust in presidential authority.
In a related development, the nonprofit Power the Future raised questions about eight major energy-related executive orders signed by Biden. The group found no public record of Biden discussing these orders, suggesting that the autopen may have been used without Biden’s direct awareness.
These developments have fueled ongoing speculation about Biden’s autonomy and competence during his final months in office.
