House Oversight Probes Biden Autopen Use, Interviews Ex-Aides

Congress, led by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, is intensifying its investigation into former President Joe Biden's use of an autopen device to sign presidential documents, including mass clemency orders. Newly disclosed memos from the Biden White House reveal internal confusion about whether certain documents, such as pardon letters, require the president's personal hand-signature, though the use of the autopen remains legal. Andrew Bates, a senior communications aide to Biden, testified before the committee defending the former president's mental acuity and denying any cover-up or usurpation of executive powers, while criticizing the current administration under President Donald Trump. Republicans allege that the autopen was used extensively during Biden's final months to approve thousands of clemencies potentially without his full awareness. The investigation also probes whether Biden’s aides shielded his mental decline from public scrutiny and improperly authorized decisions by proxy. Democrats have characterized the probe as a partisan effort and an unnecessary retrospective examination.