The House Oversight Committee has unveiled a report that casts doubt on the legitimacy of former President Joe Biden’s executive actions, prompting a call for the Department of Justice to investigate the Biden administration’s decisions. This development follows a five-month inquiry fueled by allegations from President Donald Trump and his allies, who contend that aides concealed a perceived decline in Biden’s cognitive capabilities and misused the presidential autopen to issue executive actions without direct presidential input.
The investigation revealed there were instances where there is no firm record of Biden personally approving certain executive actions, including those involving pardons. The report also suggests that the autopen—a device commonly used by presidents to sign documents swiftly—may have been utilized without Biden’s knowledge or consent.
Consequently, the committee asserts that any executive actions signed via the autopen, unless proven to have presidential approval, should be considered void. It expressed particular concern over the legitimacy of numerous clemency actions taken during Biden’s tenure.
To seek accountability, the committee’s chairman, James Comer (R-Kentucky), has formally requested that Attorney General Pam Bondi examine all executive actions from the Biden administration to verify their authorization by the president and assess potential legal repercussions stemming from these findings.
The investigation relied heavily on testimonies from over a dozen former Biden administration officials. Notably, there are no public medical evaluations indicating that Biden was incapable of making informed decisions or that his aides needed to perform his duties for him.
Trump’s unyielding focus on Biden has led to daily public attacks and pointed remarks during significant addresses and meetings with foreign leaders, drawing comparisons to unprecedented rhetorical levels in presidential history. His allegations regarding the autopen have even found a tangible representation; Trump included a framed image of the autopen in a recent presidential portrait series at the White House, which prompted a rare rebuttal from Biden last summer asserting the legality of the autopen and alleging dishonesty from Trump and his supporters.
The committee pointed out gaps in the handling of documents requiring the president’s signature, raising significant questions about the document’s chain of custody. A specific incident highlighted that Biden’s chief of staff, Jeff Zients, authorized someone to use the autopen for granting pardons, while another case noted a DOJ ethics attorney’s concerns about whether Biden had been adequately briefed on the pardons being granted.
With a focus on Biden’s physician, Kevin O’Connor, the report accuses him of being complicit in a cover-up regarding Biden’s health, questioning his assessment deeming Biden a healthy and capable president while omitting a cognitive evaluation. Additionally, it requests an investigation into O’Connor’s practices by the D.C. medical board.
The report mirrors concerns raised during Donald Trump’s presidency regarding the credibility of White House medical assessments. In 2018, Trump’s physician, Ronny Jackson, faced scrutiny for his overly optimistic depiction of Trump’s health. Similarly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, misleading statements about Trump’s condition garnered further controversy, reflecting the challenges in evaluating presidential health transparently.
The document stresses that, despite claims from Biden’s aides asserting his fitness for duty, they hesitated to undertake a cognitive test for fear it might incite new inquiries into the president’s mental capacity, suggesting a continued focus on transparency and medical accountability surrounding presidential health. As the political landscape evolves, the outcomes of these investigations may significantly influence public perception and future political narratives.