Reports have emerged that a key Biden administration aide may have used the autopen to sign official documents without confirmation that President Joe Biden had approved them. According to former White House staffers, this individual frequently cited Biden’s authority to justify decisions, but there was no clear oversight on whether the president had personally reviewed the documents.
Sources indicate that the staffer held considerable influence, with colleagues reluctant to question their authority. Some former officials say they suspected the aide was making decisions independently but that the internal culture discouraged direct challenges.
Who were the three staffers who had access to Biden's autopen? @gabbycuccia names names on @RealLindellTV.
Spoiler alert: one also had been a Susan Rice staffer. pic.twitter.com/0Rf71lEScC
— The Absolute Truth with @EmeraldRobinson (@AbsoluteWithE) March 11, 2025
Concerns over the use of the autopen intensified after six presidential pardons issued on December 30, 2024, were found to have identical signatures. Biden was reportedly vacationing in the U.S. Virgin Islands at the time, leading to speculation that the decisions may not have been directly approved by him.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has called on the Department of Justice to investigate whether Biden’s executive orders and pardons were issued without his full knowledge. In a letter to the DOJ’s inspector general, Bailey stated that if Biden’s staffers acted without direct authorization, those decisions should be legally void.
Former Biden aide claims top staffer abused autopen as president's cognitive abilities deteriorated https://t.co/XHhzUSk9sJ key staffer was suspected of unilaterally making decisions to sign documents as former President Joe Biden's cognitive abilities decreased.
— greg beanan (@gregbeanan) March 15, 2025
Unlike Biden’s administration, the Trump White House has set firm restrictions on the use of the autopen. A recently obtained internal memo confirms that Trump personally signs all executive orders, appointments and major policy decisions. The autopen is reserved for routine matters, ensuring that critical decisions are made with direct presidential oversight.
While the autopen has been used by presidents for decades, its role under Biden has sparked questions about how much control he actually had over his administration’s actions. The controversy has renewed calls for greater transparency in presidential decision-making.
The Justice Department has not provided any indication on whether it will open an investigation into the matter.
