Former US President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice officials reportedly objected to the handling of his last-minute pardons, with government lawyers claiming he failed to properly vet the criminals whose sentences he commuted, according to Axios. Internal emails and sources suggest that Biden’s team bypassed the Justice Department’s vetting process, leading to criticism over the rushed and unreviewed nature of the pardons.
Among the most controversial pardons was that of his son, Hunter Biden, who had previously pleaded guilty to tax evasion and gun violations. Biden faced widespread criticism for granting clemency to Hunter despite his public pledge not to do so. A source told Axios that there was a ‘mad dash’ to find groups of people to pardon, with many of the decisions not being reviewed by the Justice Department.
Many of the pardons were signed using an autopen, a device that replicates the president’s signature. This process was reportedly authorized by Biden’s chief of staff, Jeff Zients, with his aide Rosa Po frequently sending the authorizations by email. The use of the autopen has raised questions about the legitimacy of the pardons, with some officials questioning whether Biden had adequately reviewed each case.
Bradley Weinsheimer, a senior ethics attorney at the Justice Department, wrote a scathing memo in January, a day after Biden freed thousands of criminals he described as non-violent drug offenders. Weinsheimer argued that Biden’s statement was ‘untrue, or at least misleading,’ and provided a list of violent offenders released as a result. Biden’s approach to pardons has drawn significant attention, with critics arguing that the process lacked transparency and due diligence.
White House staff secretary Stef Feldman reportedly questioned the use of the autopen, asking: ‘When did we get [Biden’s] approval of this?’ Biden later insisted he had made ‘every decision’ himself and claimed the aut, but records indicate he only had to sign ‘a few documents for every large group of people he granted clemency,’ according to Axios.
Biden ultimately pardoned 4,245 people, with more than 95% of those decisions made in the final months of his presidency. The former president argued at the time that the prosecution of his son was politically motivated, but the pardons have sparked considerable debate over their legality and the integrity of the process.