Biden's Final Pardon Spree Includes Only One Hand-Signed Clemency, Marked by Controversy

In the waning days of his presidency, Joe Biden’s clemency actions have ignited intense scrutiny and controversy. While Biden granted more than 1,500 pardons and commutations in a sweeping final act that his team described as “the largest single-day act of clemency by a U.S. president,” it is the manner in which many of these pardons were executed—and one in particular—that has drawn national attention.

Questions have emerged about Biden’s reliance on the autopen, an automated signature device, raising concerns about both the legitimacy of these executive decisions and the former president’s mental fitness during his last months in office. Investigators from the Justice Department are now reviewing the list of recipients to determine whether the use of the autopen affected the validity of these pardons—particularly those addressing prominent political allies and family members. Notably, among those granted clemency via autopen were Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, and staff from the House committee investigating January 6, fueling heated debate over the impartiality and transparency of Biden’s actions.

The only pardon reportedly signed by Biden personally was for his son, Hunter Biden. This move stands in stark contrast to Joe Biden’s previous public assurances that he would not intervene in legal matters involving his son. Hunter Biden, found guilty on multiple felony gun charges and facing federal tax allegations for failing to pay millions in taxes, unexpectedly pleaded guilty shortly before trial.

In December 2024, Joe Biden issued a sweeping, hand-signed pardon for Hunter, covering a broad array of offenses spanning a ten-year period. The former president justified his decision by citing years of what he characterized as selective prosecution and unrelenting personal attacks targeting both himself and his family. “There has been an effort to break Hunter... In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me — and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough,” Biden declared, emphasizing the depth of his personal and political motivation behind the pardon.

The response from Special Counsel David Weiss, who led the investigation into Hunter Biden, was swift and sharply critical. Weiss condemned both the substance of the pardon and the tone of Biden’s public statements, accusing the former president of unfairly maligning the integrity of Department of Justice officials. “Other presidents have pardoned family members,” Weiss noted in his final report, “but in doing so, none have taken the occasion as an opportunity to malign the public servants at the Department of Justice based solely on false accusations.” He also indicated that, due to the scope of the pardon, further prosecution or discussion of potential additional charges against Hunter Biden would be “inappropriate.”

The controversy has escalated as former President Donald Trump ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate Biden’s use of the autopen and to determine whether aides conspired to obscure the president’s cognitive health while exercising his executive authority. Trump alleged that Biden’s declining mental state was hidden from the public, with advisers scripting his interactions and restricting media access. “This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history,” Trump wrote in a recent memo, claiming that the widespread use of the autopen was designed to mask Biden’s cognitive decline and facilitate radical policy changes without true executive oversight.

The mounting investigations and pointed political rhetoric surrounding Biden’s final actions in office underscore deep divisions about presidential power, accountability, and transparency. As questions persist about the authenticity of key decisions and the health of the presidency itself, the nation faces a new chapter of partisan conflict and legal uncertainty just months after Biden’s departure from the White House.