Biden defends autopen use for clemency decisions
FILE-President Joe Biden speaks to the media at the White House on July 1, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Former President Joe Biden is defending his frequent use of an autopen during his term in the White House.
The New York Times interviewed Biden in a conversation that revolved around his use of the device during the final pardons he made at the conclusion of his time in office.
How many pardons did Biden sign during the end of his term?
Why you should care:
During the final days of his presidency, the former commander-in-chief commuted the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses – setting the presidential record for most individual pardons and commutations issued.
RELATED: Biden commutes sentences of nearly 2,500 non-violent drug offenders
The New York Times reported that many of those pardons and clemency actions were signed using an autopen, including those signed to pardon members of the former president’s family.
Biden told The New York Times in an interview, "I made every single one of those. I understand why Trump would think that, because obviously, I guess, he doesn't focus much. Anyway, so — yes, I made every decision."
Trump calls for investigation into Biden autopen use
The backstory:
In June, President Donald Trump issued a memo ordering an official investigation into President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen, while claiming that Biden has "cognitive decline."
Trump in the memo called Biden’s autopen use "one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history," alleging that thousands of documents—including presidential pardons—were signed without Biden’s active involvement.
RELATED: Trump orders probe into Biden autopen use calling it a White House ‘cover-up’
CNN reported that Biden rebuffed insinuations in Trump’s memo, saying in a statement Wednesday evening, "Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false."
House Oversight Committee chair James Comer (R-Ky.) later launched an investigation centered on Biden’s mental fitness and decline. The probe is also connected, in part, to assertions from the new book "Original Sin" by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson. The book alleges Biden was not the main decision-maker near the end of his presidency.
Biden’s former doctor refuses to answer questions about his health
Local perspective:
Dr. Kevin O’ Connor, former President Joe Biden’s White House physician, refused to answer questions on July 9 as part of the House Republican investigation into Biden's health while he served in office.
RELATED: Biden's former doctor refuses to answer House Republicans' questions
O’ Connor used his rights under the Fifth Amendment during an interview with the House Oversight Committee, O’Connor’s attorney and lawmakers told the Associated Press last week.
The AP reported that one of O’Connor’s lawyers, David Schertler, cited both O’Connor’s responsibilities to protect patient privacy as a doctor and the Justice Department’s investigation into Biden’s use of an autopen.
What is an autopen?
Dig deeper:
An autopen is a device used to make automatic or remote signatures and has been used by celebrities and other public figures for decades. It’s typically used on signing platforms like DocuSign simplifying the process to sign a legal document without having to physically write your signature on a piece of paper.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by The New York Times, previous reporting from LIVENOW from FOX, and Axios. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.