White House backs DOJ investigation into Biden autopen – Washington Examiner
The white House has welcomed an examination by the Justice Department into former President Joe Biden’s clemency actions, notably concerning allegations that many of thes actions were signed using an autopen. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized the importance of providing answers to the American people regarding who was actually leading during Biden’s presidency, especially given concerns about his mental competency. The investigation, prompted by a request from Ed Martin, Donald Trump’s former pardon attorney, seeks to determine Biden’s competency at the time of signing pardons and whether he was manipulated by others. This scrutiny arises amidst a broader Republican investigation into Biden’s use of the autopen and claims surrounding his leadership capabilities during his presidency. Modern presidents have traditionally used autopen for less critical documents, but there are concerns about its use in notable matters due to Biden’s age.
White House: ‘American people deserve answers’ about Biden’s use of autopen
The White House is welcoming a Justice Department investigation into former President Joe Biden‘s acts of clemency amid allegations that many were signed with an autopen.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt underscored the importance of the investigation, which was announced by President Donald Trump‘s pardon attorney Ed Martin, contending “the American people deserve answers.”
WHAT REPUBLICANS HAVE FOUND IN THEIR INVESTIGATION OF BIDEN’S AUTOPEN SO FAR
“The president is making a good point when he discusses the usage of the autopen,” Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday. “Who was running the country for the past four years?”
Leavitt defended the investigation from criticism that it was backward-focused, citing what Trump is promoting as his accomplishments on the border to the economy.
“It’s still, nevertheless, is a very important issue, and it was a huge issue that sent the president back to this White House,” she said. “Americans saw with their own eyes a mentally incompetent president, and they want answers for that, and the president believes they should have them.”
Martin, who Trump had previously tapped to be the next U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia before Republican senators last month declined to support him over his defense of Jan. 6 offenders, told Justice Department aides on Monday that he had been directed to investigate clemency granted by Biden, including presumptive pardons for members his family during his final days in office and his conversion of 37 federal inmates’ death penalties to life in prison sentences.
Martin told aides in an email that the investigation would try to uncover whether Biden “was competent and whether others were taking advantage of him through use of AutoPen or other means,” according to Reuters.
Martin signaled he was looking at Biden’s location when pardons were signed and questioned the need to use an autopen if he were physically in Washington, D.C.
Biden’s age-related decline is under renewed scrutiny after the publication last month of Original Sin, a book by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, which reports on how Biden aides protected and shielded the former president.
Both House and Senate Republicans have launched investigations into Biden’s autopen use and whether he was really in charge during his presidency.
Modern presidents have used an autopen, a machine that automates a president’s signature, for holiday cards and the like, but Trump and Martin, among other Republicans, are concerned Biden relied on one in different, more serious circumstances because of his age.
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