{"id":2468070,"date":"2025-07-29T08:21:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T12:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/group-behind-biden-autopen-inquiry-slams-doj-for-unacceptable-stonewalling\/"},"modified":"2025-07-29T08:23:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T12:23:19","slug":"group-behind-biden-autopen-inquiry-slams-doj-for-unacceptable-stonewalling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/group-behind-biden-autopen-inquiry-slams-doj-for-unacceptable-stonewalling\/","title":{"rendered":"Group behind Biden autopen inquiry slams DOJ for \u2018unacceptable\u2019 stonewalling"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgroup-behind-biden-autopen-inquiry-slams-doj-for-unacceptable-stonewalling%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2468070&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fix-the-court-pays-director-95-of-its-revenue-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Fix the Court pays director 95% of its revenue - Washington Examiner\">conservative watchdog group called<\/a> the Oversight Project has been investigating former President Joe Biden&#8217;s use of the autopen-a mechanized device used to sign documents-particularly concerning its use to execute pardons and clemency actions, which they allege may violate constitutional requirements that such powers be personally exercised by the president. The group sued the Justice Department (DOJ) over delayed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/group-behind-biden-autopen-inquiry-slams-doj-for-unacceptable-stonewalling-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"... behind ... for \u2018unacceptable\u2019 ... - Washington Examiner\">seeking internal legal guidance<\/a> on the matter but accuses the DOJ of stonewalling and lacking transparency despite expedited processing being granted. The controversy intensified after research revealed Biden&#8217;s staff authorized sweeping clemency decisions using the autopen without the president personally signing each one.<\/p>\n<p>While President Donald trump ordered an investigation into whether Biden&#8217;s autopen use unlawfully delegated executive authority, the current DOJ leadership under Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy attorney General Todd blanche has reportedly delayed releasing pertinent documents, frustrating calls for government transparency. The oversight Project and other critics argue that the DOJ&#8217;s delays contradict Trump&#8217;s stated commitment to openness, especially in this politically sensitive case. Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee continues its inquiry with interviews of former Biden officials, some of whom have invoked the Fifth Amendment, while former chief of Staff Ron Klain has testified fully. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/left-wing-california-da-under-recall-quietly-drops-1000-cases-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Left-wing California DA under recall quietly drops 1,000 cases - Washington Examiner\">situation reflects broader concerns<\/a> over government transparency, FOIA backlogs, and potential constitutional violations in the Biden governance&#8217;s handling of executive powers.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Group behind Biden autopen inquiry slams DOJ for &lsquo;unacceptable&rsquo; stonewalling<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2181163\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A conservative watchdog group that began investigating former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Joe Biden<\/a>&rsquo;s use of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/autopen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">autopen<\/a> long before any congressional investigations started is furious over a lack of transparency and what it says are officials stonewalling information requests at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/justice-department\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Justice Department<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3435968\/biden-autopen-use-dc-widespread\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Oversight Project<\/a>, which sued the DOJ in May over stalled <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/freedom-of-information-act\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Freedom of Information Act <\/a>requests, says the Biden-era scandal is now being compounded by foot-dragging from the very administration that promised historic openness. The group is seeking internal legal guidance from the DOJ&rsquo;s Office of Legal Counsel concerning Biden&rsquo;s controversial use of the autopen to execute pardons. But after more than four months, it says the government is still resisting compliance with the FOIA requests despite granting expedited processing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3484700\/doj-complaint-judge-boasberg-undermining-integrity-judiciary\/\">DOJ files complaint against Judge Boasberg for undermining &#8216;integrity&#8217; of judiciary<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3484100\/appeals-panel-skeptical-doj-bid-lift-court-immigration-raid-restrictions\/\">Appeals panel skeptical of DOJ&#8217;s bid to lift court&#8217;s immigration raid restrictions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/politics\/3484574\/democrats-try-to-revive-epstein-scandal-as-deflection-from-russia-scandal-byron-york\/\">Democrats try to revive Epstein scandal as deflection from Russia scandal: Byron York<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Friday, June 27, 2025, in the briefing room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo\/Manuel Ceneta)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re over 130 days in on a request that goes to the heart of what the president himself has called the biggest scandal in American history,&rdquo; said Kyle Brosnan, chief counsel for the Oversight Project. &ldquo;And the Justice Department is slow-walking the release of this information. It&rsquo;s unacceptable given the gravity of what we&rsquo;re asking for.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In response to growing scrutiny over his predecessor&rsquo;s use of the autopen,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">President Donald Trump<\/a>&nbsp;ordered the White House counsel and the DOJ in June to investigate whether Biden&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >staff unconstitutionally exercised executive authority<\/a> during Biden&rsquo;s final year in office. But Brosnan said Trump&rsquo;s own DOJ, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, is stonewalling the release of necessary records for the watchdog&rsquo;s research project.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;From the top down, this administration talks a big game on transparency, but nobody&rsquo;s walking the walk,&rdquo; Brosnan said. &ldquo;President Trump deserves credit for being visible and accessible to the press, but the DOJ is not following his lead &mdash; especially not in this case.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Oversight Project&rsquo;s request focuses on whether DOJ lawyers under the Biden administration previously warned Biden that presidential powers, such as the pardon clause, cannot be delegated and require personal execution. In a recent interview, Biden admitted his staff had used the autopen for blanket clemency decisions based on the president&rsquo;s preapproved categories but that he did not give the green light for each person on the clemency list.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If you have an OLC opinion saying, &lsquo;Hey, Mr. President, you need to sign these things,&rsquo; and he didn&rsquo;t, that throws additional fuel onto the fire,&rdquo; Brosnan said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re asking for documents that may show the president ignored binding legal advice.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Despite Brosnan&rsquo;s concerns, a federal judge this week approved the DOJ&rsquo;s request to postpone its next FOIA update until September. Brosnan said the delay contradicts Trump&rsquo;s push for aggressive transparency in government.<\/p>\n<p>While the reason for the delay is not entirely clear, the Justice Department, now led by&nbsp;Bondi, has pointed to an overwhelming spike in FOIA activity. The agency&rsquo;s recent reports have suggested that standards are changing to address historic backlogs from previous years.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The department processed a record-breaking 157,180 requests in fiscal 2024, up from just 82,868 two years earlier, while reducing its backlog by more than 50%, according to its 2025 Chief FOIA Officer Report.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>According to its&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/oip\/united-states-department-justice-2025-chief-foia-officer-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2025 Chief FOIA Officer Report<\/a>, the department processed a record-breaking 157,180 requests in fiscal 2024, up from just 82,868 two years earlier, while reducing its backlog by more than 50%.<\/p>\n<p>Still, critics say the numbers don&rsquo;t tell the whole story. Brosnan argues that the autopen-related FOIA request is relatively narrow and manageable yet is being treated like a political inconvenience.<\/p>\n<p>Sam Dewey, a lawyer involved in a separate FOIA case over records tied to Hunter Biden&rsquo;s prosecution, echoed the sentiment. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/67530523\/heritage-foundation-v-us-department-of-justice\/?order_by=desc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">&ldquo;We got some stuff recently,&rdquo;<\/a> Dewey told the&nbsp;<em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;But it should have been released over a year ago,&rdquo; he said, adding that the process has been &ldquo;very frustrating.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Mike Howell, the Oversight Project&rsquo;s president, submitted testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this year summarizing the broader transparency breakdown.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mike Howell, director of Heritage Foundation&rsquo;s Oversight Project, speaks outside the federal courthouse in Washington, Tuesday, June 6, 2023. (AP Photo\/Manuel Balce Ceneta)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;Growing backlogs, agency failures to make timely determinations, arbitrary denials of requests, and excessive invocation of FOIA exemptions has made the government less transparent. &hellip; The average American, by and large, has been cut out,&rdquo; Howell said.<\/p>\n<p>The group expanded its criticism on X last week, writing, &ldquo;133 days is enough&rdquo; time for the DOJ to deliver responsive records.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;For reasons we cannot explain, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche are covering up records related to the Autopen Scandal. &hellip; The American people need to know who the president was,&rdquo; the group wrote in its statement.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">UNFORTUNATE LITIGATION UPDATE<\/p>\n<p>133 days is enough.<\/p>\n<p>For reasons we cannot explain, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AGPamBondi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@AGPamBondi<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DAGToddBlanche?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@DAGToddBlanche<\/a><br \/>are covering up records related to the Autopen Scandal. While we have been working with the White House and Congress on this matter, we now learn that the&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/rxprZBGr5i\">pic.twitter.com\/rxprZBGr5i<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Oversight Project (@ItsYourGov) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ItsYourGov\/status\/1948233247894257931?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 24, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>Scrutiny of Biden&rsquo;s use of the autopen gained traction in April after research by the watchdog group, <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">formerly part of the Heritage Foundation,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/itsyourgov.org\/investigation\/bidens-autopen-presidency-part-i\/\" target=\"_blank\">uncovered evidence<\/a>&nbsp;that Biden relied on the mechanized signature printer for several executive orders and last-minute clemency actions. This prompted<\/span> speculation about whether Biden made the final call on those decisions.<\/p>\n<p>After Republican lawmakers began investigating Biden&rsquo;s autopen in early May, a July 13 report from the<em>&nbsp;New York Times<\/em>&nbsp;revealed that Biden staffers, including chief of staff Jeff Zients, used the device to carry out&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3470261\/biden-staff-approved-mass-last-minute-pardons-with-autopen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sweeping clemency grants<\/a>&nbsp;under Biden&rsquo;s name.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Oversight Project believes that such action violates the Constitution&rsquo;s requirement that the president personally exercise certain &ldquo;non-delegable&rdquo; powers, prompting its search for additional records about what legal advice the president received about his autopen usage.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3480527\/ron-klain-house-oversight-biden-autopen-investigation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"RON KLAIN, FORMER BIDEN CHIEF OF STAFF, TESTIFIES IN HOUSE OVERSIGHT AUTOPEN INVESTIGATION\"><strong>RON KLAIN, FORMER BIDEN CHIEF OF STAFF, TESTIFIES IN HOUSE OVERSIGHT AUTOPEN INVESTIGATION<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/james-comer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer<\/a>&nbsp;(R-KY) has continued interviews of several former Biden officials, including Dr. Kevin O&rsquo;Connor, Anthony Bernal, and Annie Tomasini, the three aides who have so far invoked the Fifth Amendment in response to committee questioning.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, the committee interviewed Biden&rsquo;s former chief of staff, Ron Klain, who answered many of the committee&rsquo;s questions. Interviews are expected to continue this week on Wednesday with Steve Ricchetti, Biden&rsquo;s former counselor, and on Thursday with Mike Donilon, Biden&rsquo;s former senior adviser.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2181163\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2181163\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Watchdog group blasts DOJ for &#8216;unacceptable&#8217; autopen stonewalling<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2468071,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AP25157735140279.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[58060,3620,7076,3976,15047],"class_list":["post-2468070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-autopen-inquiry","tag-biden","tag-doj","tag-investigation","tag-stonewalling"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AP25157735140279.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2468070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2468070"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2468070\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2468074,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2468070\/revisions\/2468074"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2468071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2468070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2468070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2468070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}