Biden’s presidency was full of controversy. But we’re only just getting through the surface.
As this Joe Biden scandal just blew up after scathing new information leaks.
In the waning weeks of his presidency, Joe Biden made headlines with a sweeping act of clemency, granting pardons and commutations to over 1,500 individuals in what the White House called the largest single-day clemency event in U.S. history. Among these, one pardon stood out, personally signed by Biden himself: a pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, issued in December 2024.
Hunter Biden faced legal scrutiny after being convicted of three felony gun charges and pleading guilty to federal tax crimes involving at least $1.4 million in unpaid taxes. Despite months of public assurances that he would not intervene, Biden issued a blanket pardon covering any offenses Hunter “has committed or may have committed” between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024.
“From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,” Biden stated.
“There has been an effort to break Hunter — who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me — and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough. I hope Americans will understand why a father and a president would come to this decision.”
The decision drew sharp criticism from Special Counsel David Weiss, who led the investigation into Hunter Biden. Weiss called Biden’s claims of a “selective” and “unfair” prosecution “gratuitous and wrong,” arguing they unfairly tarnished the reputation of Justice Department officials.
“Other presidents have pardoned family members, but in doing so, none have taken the occasion as an opportunity to malign the public servants at the Department of Justice based solely on false accusations,” Weiss wrote. He added that the pardon prevented further charging decisions, rendering discussions about additional charges “inappropriate.”
Weiss further cautioned that such political attacks erode public trust in the justice system. “Politicians who attack the decisions of career prosecutors as politically motivated when they disagree with the outcome of a case undermine the public’s confidence in our criminal justice system,” he wrote.
“The President’s characterizations are incorrect based on the facts in this case, and, on a more fundamental level, they are wrong.”
The Autopen Controversy
Adding to the controversy, Biden’s use of an autopen to sign most of the 1,500 clemency documents has sparked questions about his mental acuity and decision-making in his final months in office.
The Justice Department, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, is now investigating whether Biden’s aides used the autopen to mask concerns about his cognitive state while wielding executive authority.
President Donald Trump, in a memo dated Wednesday, June 4, 2025, described the situation as “one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history.” Trump emphasized the immense power of a presidential signature, which can enact laws, appoint officials, shape policies, and grant freedom to prisoners.
“In recent months, it has become increasingly apparent that former President Biden’s aides abused the power of Presidential signatures through the use of an autopen to conceal Biden’s cognitive decline and assert Article II authority,” Trump stated.
He further claimed that Biden’s cognitive struggles were “worse” in private, alleging that aides restricted his media appearances and scripted his interactions to conceal his condition. “Biden’s cognitive issues and apparent mental decline during his presidency were even ‘worse’ in private, and those closest to him ‘tried to hide it’ from the public,” Trump wrote.
A Legacy Under Scrutiny
Biden’s final clemency actions included preemptive pardons for family members, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, and members of the House committee investigating January 6. While these moves were historic in scale, the personal pardon for Hunter Biden and the autopen controversy have cast a shadow over their legacy.
As investigations unfold, questions linger about the balance between familial loyalty, presidential power, and public trust in the justice system.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
