Joe Biden’s autopen pardons and executive orders 'VOIDED' by GOP-led House Oversight Committee due to 'mental decline'

Joe Biden’s autopen pardons and executive orders have been "voided" by the GOP-led House Oversight Committee, citing his "mental decline".

In a letter sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi, the committee said serious questions surround whether the former President was aware of the substance of the various pardons and commutations signed in his name via autopen.

They wrote that they "deem void President Biden’s executive actions that were signed using the Autopen, and the committee determines that action by the Department of Justice is warranted to address the legal consequences of that determination."

A month-long investigation into Mr Biden’s use of the autopen was outlined in a 93-page report outlining the committee’s conclusions.

It alleged the committee had found "a cover-up of the president’s cognitive decline" and "no record demonstrating President Biden himself made all of the executive decisions that were attributed to him."

Biden has publicly disputed the claims, arguing he made all his decisions as President.

He branded Republicans who have suggested he was incompetent as "liars."

The former President and his administration were criticised heavily for awarding pardons in his final days in office, including to January 6 defenders and one to his son, Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of federal gun charges and pleaded guilty to federal tax crimes.

Although the committee raised serious questions about the pardons, it did not cite any direct evidence that anyone other than Mr Biden made the decisions that his staff later implemented.

They instead pointed to a lack of clear records indicating that the then-President was the decision-maker.

Democratic Representative Robert Garcia, the ranking member on the House Oversight committee, released a statement in which he branded the report a "sham investigation".

He added: “Every White House official testified President Biden fully executed his duties as President of the United States."

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Mr Garcia said: "The testimonies also make it clear the former President authorised every executive order, pardon, and use of the autopen."

A spokesman for Mr Biden said: “This investigation into baseless claims has confirmed what has been clear from the start: President Biden made the decisions of his presidency.”

"There was no conspiracy, no cover-up, and no wrongdoing. Congressional Republicans should stop focusing on political retribution and instead work to end the government shutdown."

Donald Trump has previously specifically declared pardons signed with the auto pen as "void" on social media.

In mid-2025, President Trump ordered an investigation into the matter, calling it "one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history".

Previous presidents, including John F Kennedy, Harry Truman, and Barack Obama, have all used the device.

In September, President Trump replaced a White House portrait of former President Joe Biden with an autopen image in a mocking swipe at his Democratic predecessor.

Mr Trump's team shared a video on social media depicting a series of black-and-white portraits of America's former presidents, then panning to the device above Mr Biden's term.