Commentary (The Autopen Scandal): James Comer Suggests Obiden Pardons Were Illegal; Evidence His Committee Is Gathering Could Overturn

House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) confirmed Friday his committee’s review of the Joe-Joe Obiden pardons so far calls into question their legality.

This from westernjournal.com.

The Obiden Regime granted more acts of clemency than any other president in U.S. history, according to Pew Research Center. During just one term, he gave a total of 4,245, which included 4,165 commutations of sentences and 80 pardons.

By comparison, Barack (Kenya) Obama issued 1,927 acts of clemency over two terms, and Donald Trump issued 238 during his first term.

It’s questionable whether or not it’s legal to use an autopen on a legal document, but what’s not questionable is if the President of the United States had no idea what was being signed using the autopen in his name.

Further:

 Then, you know, that’s not legal.

The American people saw that Joe Biden was in decline. Robert Hur stated it early on, even before the disastrous debate. When he conducted his interview with Joe Biden, Joe Biden couldn’t even remember the dates that he served as Vice President of the United States.

Hur was the special counsel who looked into Joe-Joe’s alleged mishandling of classified documents.

The DOJ attorney opted not to prosecute Biden, having explained to members of the House Judiciary Committee in February 2024:

We have also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.

Comer contended:

[An] inner circle shielded Joe Biden from everyone, not just the majority of his staff, but the media and the American people.

Further:

They wouldn’t even allow a cognitive test to be applied to Joe Biden, because they feared what the outcome of that cognitive test would be.

And:

I think that’s pretty damning.

Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz told Just the News in March:

[T]here are at least two important issues raised by the Biden White House’s use of the autopen.

He explained:

First, the nature of what’s signed. If it was a bill, here’s what the Constitution says: ‘If he approves, he shall sign it.’ So it says, ‘sign it.’ Sign it.

Dershowitz said regarding a bill signed by the president:

So an autopen would raise a real problem if he signed it by autopen, which is not a real signature.

Regarding the pardons, Dershowitz pointed out the Constitution does not require a signature:

[But] it will still raise the issue: Did he actually pardon? Or did somebody else just write the signature without really getting approval from President Biden?

Further:

You know, we know there were mental health issues there. So there the issue will be: Did he approve the pardon?

The New York Times reported last month:

[T]he DOJ is now reviewing tens of thousands of Biden White House emails having to do with clemency actions, and the outlet has obtained some of them.

The outlet said:

Biden did not personally approve all of the pardons or commutations that he granted, but established categories of people who could receive clemency, and his staff then carried out the decree.

According to the Times:

Mr. Biden did not individually approve each name for the categorical pardons that applied to large numbers of people, he and aides confirmed.

Further:

Rather, after extensive discussion of different possible criteria, he signed off on the standards he wanted to be used to determine which convicts would qualify for a reduction in sentence.

Joe-Joe told the outlet during a phone interview:

I made every decision.

Further:

The autopen was used for clemency warrants because we’re talking about a whole lot of people.

Trump told reporters in June regarding the Obiden White House’s use of the autopen:

Essentially, whoever used the autopen was the president, and that is wrong, it’s illegal, it’s so bad, and it’s so disrespectful to our country.

Between Biden’s clear cognitive issues and lack of specific approval, it would seem and these pardons could be and should be overturned.