White House staff now admit multiple pardons were rubber-stamped by autopen—without Biden even approving the recipients—leaving Americans to wonder just who was calling the shots in the final hours of the last administration.

White House Staff Admit: Biden Didn’t Approve Every Pardon

In the last weeks of his presidency, Joe Biden’s team used an autopen—a fancy little machine that mimics signatures—to churn out a record number of pardons and commutations. The most jaw-dropping part? Senior staffers now admit that many of these pardons were executed without the president’s direct review or approval of the individual recipients. Instead, the outgoing president gave blanket authorization for categories of people, such as “nonviolent drug offenders,” and his staff handled the rest. This includes the notorious pardon of his own son, Hunter Biden, as well as preemptive pardons for political allies and family members. It sounds like the plot of a political thriller, but it’s the reality that played out in Washington’s highest offices.

This isn’t just about efficiency. The move has triggered a firestorm because clemency used to be a solemn act—a direct decision by the president after reviewing each case. Now, staffers and machines seem to be running the show. The White House’s defense? It was “impractical” to have Biden sign each warrant, so the autopen took over, with staffers approving the final lists based on Biden’s general instructions.

Congressional Outrage and Investigations Begin

Republican lawmakers are having none of it. House Oversight Chairman James Comer and Senate Republicans are demanding to know how many people were pardoned without Biden’s direct input. They’re probing whether these autopen-signed pardons are even legal and if Biden’s mental fitness played a role in the hands-off approach. The Justice Department has been dragged into the fray, now reviewing whether mass autopen signatures pass constitutional muster or if these pardons are nothing more than glorified wish lists rubber-stamped by staffers on their way out the door.

PARDON? Biden staffers admit the former president was never aware of the full list of individuals they pardoned with the autopen. Thousands of criminals pardoned were never approved by the president, but instead by officials at the bureau of prisons and his staffers. This… https://t.co/YIrUqztjmt pic.twitter.com/nBQ90bu33i

— @amuse (@amuse) July 14, 2025

Congressional hearings are underway, and the spectacle is something to behold. Lawmakers are grilling former White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, who admitted he authorized autopen use to “avoid repeatedly bothering the president.” The question that hangs in the air: Was Biden even in a position to understand or approve what his staff was doing, or was he just a passenger on the train out of town?

Constitutional Chaos: Who Holds the Pen?

Legal scholars are now in open debate over whether a pardon is valid if the president never personally reviewed—or maybe even knew about—the recipient. Some point to the Constitution’s requirement that the president “grant reprieves and pardons” as a personal, solemn duty. Others argue that as long as the president gives general approval, the staff can handle the details and the autopen is just a tool. But the scale and timing of Biden’s mass pardons—executed days before Trump’s inauguration—have set a precedent that’s left even seasoned legal experts dumbfounded.

Biden didn’t know about all of the pardons his staff worked with the bureau of prisons and kept changing the list and used the auto pen without his knowledge or permission pic.twitter.com/uPhMYjL6kV

— Joey franko (@franko_ufo) July 14, 2025

For the American public, the spectacle is infuriating. The same political class that preached about “norms” and “accountability” now expects citizens to accept that the president doesn’t need to know the names—or the crimes—of the people he’s freeing. With thousands of lives altered by a machine and a handful of staffers, the message is clear: In Washington, accountability is optional, and the rules are whatever the last guy with a pen (or autopen) decides.

The Endgame: Legal Challenges and Political Fallout

As investigations ramp up, legal challenges to the pardons are already being filed. Some prosecutors and victims’ families are contesting the legitimacy of autopen-signed warrants, arguing that the personal act of clemency was never actually performed by Biden himself. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is signaling it may try to reverse or invalidate some of the most controversial pardons, especially those tied to political allies and family members. The courts will have to decide whether a mechanical signature and a rubber-stamped approval from staff meet the constitutional threshold for one of the president’s most solemn powers.

For everyday Americans, the scandal is a reminder that the political elite play by their own rules—rules that seem to change whenever it suits them. After years of government overreach, runaway spending, and endless lectures about “saving democracy,” the last act of the Biden administration looks like one more slap in the face to anyone who believes in real accountability and the rule of law.

Sources:

ABC News

Fox News

Axios