The U.S. Department of Justice is currently investigating whether the presidential autopen—a device used to replicate the president’s signature—was inappropriately utilized to sign key documents during the final days of the Biden administration, including presidential pardons and executive orders.
Ed Martin, the incoming U.S. Pardon Attorney and head of the DOJ’s newly formed Weaponization Working Group, confirmed this week that the probe has been underway for several weeks. Martin began the inquiry during his time as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and has since expanded it as new details emerged.
Whistleblower Steps Forward
Martin revealed that a whistleblower—described as a senior Democratic insider with ties to President Biden’s 2020 campaign—recently came forward with claims that a small group of individuals allegedly controlled access to the pardon process and may have profited from it.
In an interview with journalist Mark Halperin on the 2WAY Tonight show, Martin said, “I had a whistleblower in my office 10 days ago—a senior Democrat—saying it was these three people that controlled access, and they were making money off of it. I don’t know if I believe it yet, but we need to investigate to protect the integrity of the process.”
Names Mentioned in the Allegations
According to Martin, the whistleblower pointed to several influential figures in the Biden White House:
Ron Klain – former White House Chief of Staff
Anita Dunn – former senior adviser
Robert Bauer – former personal attorney to President Obama
Steve Ricchetti – former counselor to President Biden
First Lady Jill Biden
Martin noted that the whistleblower denied involvement from Susan Rice and other senior figures.
Concerns Over Executive Orders Signed by Autopen
In a related development, Power the Future, a nonprofit advocating for American energy jobs, is calling for a federal investigation into several Biden-era executive actions on energy policy. The group claims that at least eight major executive orders may have been signed by autopen without confirmation that President Biden approved or was even aware of them.
Among the executive orders in question:
A 2023 Arctic drilling ban
A 2021 order to make the federal government net-zero by 2050
A mandate for AI-powered “clean energy” research centers
A late-term offshore drilling ban issued in 2025
Daniel Turner, the organization’s executive director, noted that there was “no public record of President Biden discussing these significant policy decisions,” raising questions about whether he had direct involvement in approving them.
Call for Congressional Oversight
In letters sent this week to the DOJ, EPA, Department of Energy, and key congressional committees, Power the Future urged lawmakers to examine whether the president’s authority was properly exercised.
One letter to House Oversight Chair James Comer reads:
“In light of the growing evidence that actions purportedly taken by the former president may not have been signed or approved by him, the need for congressional access to this information is urgent. Congress must determine who authorized these orders, and whether they reflect the president’s actual will.”
What Comes Next
As investigations continue, legal experts warn that if the allegations prove true, they could raise serious constitutional and procedural questions about how executive authority was managed during the final months of Biden’s presidency.
Neither the Biden family nor the individuals named in the DOJ probe have publicly responded to the allegations as of this report.