New reports suggest that a senior Biden administration aide may have routinely used the autopen to sign official documents without confirmation that President Joe Biden had reviewed them. According to former White House staffers, the aide frequently claimed they were acting on Biden’s orders, but no one in the administration could verify whether the president had authorized the actions.
One former official described the situation as one where staff feared questioning the aide, who appeared to operate with unchecked authority. Other White House employees reportedly suspected that the individual had exceeded their role but did not confront them.
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
The issue has come under greater scrutiny after six pardons issued on December 30, 2024, were found to have identical autopen signatures, despite Biden being on vacation at the time. The revelation has led to questions about whether the president had direct knowledge of all executive actions issued in his name.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has urged the Department of Justice to investigate the matter, arguing that any executive orders or pardons issued without Biden’s full understanding should be considered invalid. Bailey has formally requested a review of whether the president’s staff acted independently in signing key documents.
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
Under Trump’s administration, strict policies have been put in place to limit the use of the autopen. A White House memo confirms that Trump personally signs all executive orders, nominations and major policy decisions, with the autopen used only for ceremonial purposes.
Presidents have long used autopen devices, mainly for letters and minor documents, but allegations that Biden’s administration may have used it for policy decisions have sparked renewed debate about transparency in government.
The Department of Justice has yet to comment on whether an investigation into these allegations will be launched.
