Autopen-gate: Pardons In Peril

You know things are going off the rails when a pen becomes a national scandal. But here we are.

In what’s now being dubbed Autopen-gate, it turns out President Biden may have used an autopen—yes, a mechanical signature device—to issue presidential pardons. The kicker? He’s confessed he didn’t personally authorise each one.

This isn’t some ceremonial signing of Christmas cards or routine letters to diplomats. These were official presidential pardons, a power granted exclusively to the president by the Constitution. And now the FBI is reportedly opening a grand conspiracy probe into whether this was a case of executive overreach or plain old fraud.

The big legal question: Can a presidential pardon stand if the president never actually approved it himself? If not, every single one of those autopen pardons could be invalid—and we're talking real-world consequences for people who may have already been released, had charges dropped, or regained rights.

Let’s be clear. This isn’t a minor whoopsie. This is a serious constitutional mess. You can't just farm out your presidential powers to a staffer with a fancy pen. If the president didn’t personally make the decision, then who did? And who benefits?

At best, it’s sloppy and lazy. At worst, it’s deliberate abuse of power—a shadow presidency run by unelected bureaucrats who can rubber-stamp life-changing legal actions. And that, my friends, should worry everyone, no matter which side of the political fence you sit on.

This isn’t about party. It’s about accountability. And it’s about time someone asked the obvious question: If the President didn’t sign the pardon, does the pardon even exist?

Stay tuned. This story isn’t over. It’s just getting started.

Here is a recent Fox News discussion on this issue.