Trump Administration Questions Legitimacy of Biden’s Final Pardons

The Justice Department under Trump is looking into pardons that Biden issued before leaving office, especially those given to family members and some federal inmates who avoided the death penalty. The investigation focuses partly on whether Biden actually signed those pardons himself or if an AutoPen a machine that can replicate a signature was used instead. This device has been a point of controversy, with Trump and his allies arguing that it undermines the legitimacy of decisions.

While there’s no direct proof Biden used an AutoPen for these pardons, the probe is about whether Biden was fully aware or if others took advantage of him. Notably, Biden pardoned close family members, including his siblings and their spouses, as well as his son Hunter Biden, who had pleaded guilty to tax crimes and faced other charges.

Legally, presidents have broad, nearly unlimited power to grant pardons, which means even if an AutoPen was used, it probably wouldn’t be illegal. The pardon attorney in charge admits this but still believes the pardons deserve a closer look.

So, this is a politically charged inquiry. It raises questions about how presidential powers are exercised and whether any impropriety happened but it’s unclear if this will lead to any real consequences.