Former President Joe Biden hand-signed only one pardon during his final weeks in office, and it was for his son, Hunter Biden, considered his most controversial act of clemency.
The Justice Department is now reviewing the full list of pardons issued by Biden.
This comes amid scrutiny of his use of an autopen to authorize clemency documents and rising questions about his mental fitness during his last months in office.
Biden issued more than 1,500 pardons and commutations during his final weeks as president, marking what the White House called the largest single-day clemency action in U.S. history.
Among those pardoned were members of Biden’s family, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, and members and staff involved with the House January 6 Committee. These pardons appear to have been signed using an autopen.
The only hand-signed pardon was for his son, Hunter Biden, despite Biden previously pledging not to pardon him. That pardon was issued in December 2024.
Hunter had been convicted of three felony gun charges following an investigation by Special Counsel David Weiss. He also faced federal charges over unpaid taxes totaling at least $1.4 million.
Just before his trial, Hunter entered a surprise guilty plea.
Biden then issued a blanket pardon for any offenses Hunter may have committed from Jan. 1, 2014, to Dec. 1, 2024, per the New York Post.
In a statement, Biden claimed he kept his word not to interfere in the Justice Department’s decisions, but defended his son against what he described as politically motivated attacks.
Biden said efforts to target his son were also intended to weaken him personally, stating, “Enough is enough.” He appealed to Americans to understand the decision from both a father’s and a president’s perspective.
Special Counsel Weiss criticized the pardon and Biden’s accompanying statement, which described the investigation as a miscarriage of justice driven by politics.
Weiss stated the president’s comments were “wrong” and that no previous president had used a pardon to attack Justice Department officials in this manner.
He added that Biden’s remarks misrepresented the facts of the case and unfairly discredited the integrity of public servants.
Weiss also noted that because of the pardon, no further charges could be brought, and it would be inappropriate to speculate on whether more charges would have been justified.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi is investigating Biden’s use of an autopen for official documents, including pardons.
President Donald Trump ordered Bondi to examine whether Biden’s aides conspired to mislead the public about his mental capacity while continuing to use the power of the presidency.
In a memo, Trump emphasized the importance of a presidential signature, saying it carries immense power in shaping law and policy.
Trump accused Biden’s aides of using the autopen to hide what he called Biden’s cognitive decline. He said this amounted to a historic scandal that concealed the true source of executive decisions from the public.
Trump further claimed Biden’s mental decline was worse in private than publicly known, with aides scripting his interactions and shielding him from press and public scrutiny throughout his presidency.
