Biden's Final Pardon Spree: Only Hand-Signed One Controversial Clemency Decision

In the closing weeks of his presidency, Joe Biden made headlines for his unprecedented use of the presidential pardon—executing sweeping acts of clemency for more than 1,500 individuals. While most of these pardons were authored via autopen, drawing scrutiny over the authenticity and oversight of such executive actions, it was the single hand-signed pardon that has become a lightning rod for controversy: the full, blanket pardon of his son, Hunter Biden.

The Justice Department is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of the entire list of those granted clemency by Biden, as concern mounts regarding both the former president's reliance on autopens for official documents and ongoing questions about his cognitive state during his final months in office. Among the most contentious pardons are those said to be preemptive, including for prominent political figures such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, General Mark Milley, and members of the House committee investigating the events of January 6.

But it is the pardon of Hunter Biden that stands apart—not just because it was signed by hand, but also due to the circumstances surrounding the younger Biden's legal troubles. Hunter Biden was previously found guilty on three federal felony gun charges and faced tax-related offenses for failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes. Despite his public assurances not to intervene in his son's legal affairs, Joe Biden granted Hunter a broad pardon in December 2024, covering any offenses "committed or may have committed" between 2014 and December 1, 2024.

In a public address defending the pardon, Biden referenced his commitment to let the Justice Department operate independently, lamenting what he called the "selective" and "unfair" prosecution of his son. He emphasized Hunter’s achievements in sobriety and attributed the yearslong investigation to political motivations, saying, "Enough is enough."

Special Counsel David Weiss, who led the prosecution against Hunter Biden, sharply criticized the former president’s remarks, describing them as "gratuitous and wrong." Weiss noted that while other presidents have pardoned family members, none had used the event to disparage career officials within the Justice Department. He wrote pointedly in his final report, "The President’s statements unfairly impugn the integrity not only of Department of Justice personnel, but all of the public servants making these difficult decisions in good faith." With Hunter now fully pardoned, Weiss acknowledged that no additional charges would be forthcoming and deemed further discussion of the case "inappropriate."

Meanwhile, the controversy around Biden’s use of an autopen to validate wide-ranging executive orders and pardons has led to further legal and political scrutiny. Attorney General Pam Bondi has initiated an investigation, following directives from President Donald Trump. The probe is seeking to determine whether aides or advisors intentionally concealed Biden’s mental decline and allowed the mechanical signing of critical documents as a means to mask leadership lapses and assert Article II powers.

Trump characterized the situation as a "dangerous and concerning scandal," accusing Biden’s inner circle of engineering a cover-up to shield the public from the realities of the president’s cognitive health. He described the massive use of the autopen as being deployed "across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts," and argued that public confidence in the function of the presidency and the justice system had been severely undermined.

This unprecedented intersection of executive power, personal influence, and questions over presidential capacity is likely to fuel debate for months to come as investigations continue and both parties prepare for future political battles.