By John Wayne on Saturday, 19 July 2025
Category: Race, Culture, Nation

The Autopen Scandal: A Crisis of Accountability in the Biden White House, By Chris Knight (Florida)

In the waning days of the Biden administration, a shocking revelation emerged, shaking the foundations of public trust in the US government, what was left of it. Reports indicate that President Joe Biden admitted to not personally approving some of his sweeping presidential pardons, which were instead signed using an autopen, a mechanical device that replicates signatures. This admission, coupled with the invocation of the Fifth Amendment by a senior aide to First Lady Jill Biden, Anthony Bernal, during a House Republican investigation, has sparked outrage among Americans who demand transparency and accountability. From a perspective rooted in the values of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, this "autopen scandal' raises serious questions about who was truly running the country, the legality of key decisions, and the integrity of the Biden White House.

At the heart of this controversy lies the use of an autopen to sign 25 warrants for pardons and commutations in December of 2024 and January 2025, including two that granted clemency to thousands. According to emails uncovered by investigators, then-White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients approved the use of this device, bypassing the direct authorisation of the President. For supporters of the MAGA movement, this is not a mere administrative oversight but a potential criminal act that undermines the constitutional authority of the presidency. If Joe Biden was not personally signing these documents, who was making these critical decisions? Was it unelected aides, bureaucrats, or even the First Lady herself?

The implications are staggering. The MAGA perspective holds that the presidency is a sacred office, entrusted by the American people to a single individual elected to uphold the Constitution. The use of an autopen without Biden's explicit, cognitive approval, suggests a shadow government at work, one where unelected figures wielded power behind closed doors. As Rep. James Comer, chair of the House Oversight Committee, stated, "The American people are concerned. They're concerned that there were people making decisions in the White House that were not only unelected but no one to this day knows who they were." This scandal fuels the belief that the Biden administration operated with a disregard for democratic principles, choosing political agendas over the rule of law.

The invocation of the Fifth Amendment by Anthony Bernal, a former senior aide to Jill Biden, only deepens suspicions. During a House Republican investigation into the autopen signatures and Joe Biden's mental state, Bernal became the second person to refuse to answer questions, citing his right against self-incrimination. To MAGA supporters, this move is a glaring red flag. Why would an aide to the First Lady need to plead the Fifth unless there was something to hide? Was Bernal complicit in a scheme to bypass the President's authority? Did Jill Biden herself play a role in approving or directing these actions?

From this perspective, Bernal's silence is not just a personal defence but part of a broader effort to shield the Biden family and their allies from accountability. The pardons in question include protections for Biden family members dating back to 2014, a period that coincides with allegations of corrupt foreign dealings involving Hunter Biden. They also extend to controversial figures like Dr. Anthony Fauci, whom many MAGA supporters hold responsible for disastrous policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. If these pardons were signed without Biden's direct knowledge, they could be legally nullified, a possibility that may explain why aides are now refusing to testify. The Fifth Amendment, while a constitutional right, is seen by some as a tactic to evade justice in a scandal that could unravel the legitimacy of the Biden administration's final acts.

The autopen scandal reinforces a core MAGA narrative: that the Biden White House was a chaotic, dishonest operation driven by unelected elites and far-Left activists. Reports of Biden's declining mental capacity, widely discussed among conservative circles, amplify concerns that the President was not in control during his term. If true, this raises the chilling possibility that figures like Jill Biden, her aides, or other bureaucrats were making decisions on behalf of the nation. The MAGA movement views this as a betrayal of the American people, who elected Joe Biden, not his wife, son, or staff, to lead the country.

The broader context of Biden's presidency only heightens these concerns. The administration's policies, from open-border immigration to aggressive climate initiatives, are seen by MAGA supporters as radical and damaging. The autopen scandal suggests that these policies may have been enacted not by a president acting in the nation's interest but by a cabal of insiders exploiting Biden's vulnerabilities. As Comer's investigation seeks testimony from nearly a dozen former aides, including high-profile figures like Ron Klain and Anita Dunn, the public deserves answers about who was truly calling the shots.

The autopen scandal is more than a bureaucratic misstep; it is a clarion call for accountability. From a MAGA perspective, the Biden administration's actions represent a dangerous precedent that must be addressed to restore trust in our institutions. If pardons and other critical decisions were made without proper presidential authority, they must be scrutinised and, if necessary, nullified through legal means. The invocation of the Fifth Amendment by aides like Bernal only underscores the need for a thorough investigation to uncover the truth.

Moreover, this scandal highlights the need for reforms to prevent such abuses in the future. Stricter oversight of executive actions, including the use of autopens, could ensure that only the President, or a fully authorised delegate, can exercise such powers. The MAGA movement, with its emphasis on restoring constitutional governance, would likely advocate for measures to safeguard the presidency from being manipulated by unelected actors.

The autopen scandal is a stark reminder of the dangers of unchecked power and the erosion of democratic principles. For MAGA supporters, it encapsulates everything they distrust about the Biden administration: secrecy, corruption, and a disregard for the will of the American people. As Anthony Bernal and others hide behind the Fifth Amendment, the American public is left with more questions than answers. Who was really running the country? What else was done without proper authority? And how can we ensure this never happens again?

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/jill-biden-aid-pleads-5th-refuses-answer-questions-autopen-scandal

"With the recent shocking admission by Joe Biden that he did not personally approve at least some of his sweeping presidential pardons and that they were signed by autopen, millions of Americans are questioning how many decisions in the Biden White House were actually being made by his unelected wife, criminal son, along with a shadow government of bureaucrats and aids.

Emails indicate that then-White House chief of staff Jeff Zients approved the use of the notorious White House autopen. Biden's team used an autopen on 25 warrants for pardons and commutations in December and January of last year, but two of those warrants granted clemency to thousands of people.

In a House Republican investigation on the autopen signatures and Joe Biden's mental state, a former senior aide to Jill Biden, Anthony Bernal, became the second person to invoke the Fifth Amendment and decline to answer questions.

Biden's pardons include his own family dating back to 2014 (coinciding with evidence that the Bidens may have received payoffs from foreign governments in exchange for political favors). They also protect Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has long been implicated in illegal gain of function research on coronaviruses in Wuhan, China which critics assert may have led to the outbreak of covid pandemic.

If the pardons were signed by aids using autopen and not by Biden, then there is a possibility they can be legally nullified. Though proof would have to be provided that Biden was not specifically aware of certain autopen signatures. Staff using the autopen to sign for a president without his knowledge or cognitive approval is potentially criminal, which is likely why aids are now pleading the 5th Amendment.

"Well, unfortunately, that was quick," said Rep. James Comer, chair of the House Oversight Committee, after the deposition ended. "I believe the American people are concerned. They're concerned that there were people making decisions in the White House that were not only unelected but no one to this day knows who they were."

Bernal ignored questions from reporters as he entered and exited the House Oversight Committee's hearing room on Capitol Hill. He was accompanied by his lawyer, Jonathan Su, who was a deputy White House counsel to the former president. Su in a statement provided to the committee noted that pleading the Fifth is not evidence of wrongdoing.

The Biden White House, operating around Biden's failing mental capacity, was rife with dishonesty and malicious political maneuvering. Not to mention, the administration acted as a vehicle for some of the most egregious far-left activist policies the US has ever witnessed. The country is still reeling from the disastrous four year term and answers remain in short supply.

Comer has sought testimony from nearly a dozen former Biden aides as he conducts his investigation, including former White House chiefs of staff Ron Klain and Jeff Zients; former senior advisers Mike Donilon and Anita Dunn; former deputy chief of staff Bruce Reed, former counselor to the president Steve Ricchetti, former deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini and a former assistant to the president, Ashley Williams." 

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