Former President Joe Biden’s executive actions have been referred to the Justice Department amid GOP claims that many of his decisions were not his own, but the work of aides trying to conceal his cognitive decline.
However, America’s 46th president hit back, urging Republicans to stop focusing on “political retribution” and instead work to end the government shutdown.
As the shutdown entered its 28th day, the GOP-led House Oversight Committee released a report on Tuesday designed to overturn some of Biden’s pardons and actions in office.
The 92-page report claimed the former administration “went to great lengths to prop up” the president, from stage managing his public appearances to blocking lawmakers from speaking to him.
It also suggested that some of Biden’s top aides misused the presidential autopen—a mechanical device that presidents often use to quickly sign documents—to issue executive actions without his direct involvement.
According to committee chairman James Comer, executive orders signed by autopen should therefore be considered “null and void.”
“The Biden Autopen Presidency will go down as one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history,” Comer said, echoing claims that Donald Trump has often made.
The report is the result of a five-month-long investigation, based on 14 depositions and transcribed interviews with key Biden aides.
But a spokesperson for Biden described the claims as “baseless” and insisted that the Democrat stalwart “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,” the spokesperson said.
The investigation found there was no record that Biden approved executive actions in several instances, including ones related to presidential pardons.
DOJ memos have also previously suggested that presidents do not need to hand-sign each act of clemency. This presidential power is absolute and has not been curtailed by court rulings or acts of Congress.
However, the committee argued that unless the Biden administration could prove he gave the green light to a given action, then any action taken through an autopen must be deemed as illegitimate.
As president, Biden issued pardons and commutations to 4,245 people—more than any other president. This included controversial pre-emptive pardons for members of his own family, including his son Hunter Biden, who was convicted of federal tax-related charges.
However, it is not clear how many of those orders were signed by him or an autopen.
“There were good processes in place,” top aide Jeff Zients told the committee.
Biden was aged 82 when he left the White House in January after Trump’s inauguration, making him the oldest president to occupy the Oval Office.
The former president was determined to run for a second term, but withdrew his re-election bid after his disastrous performance in last year’s presidential debate, when he froze on stage, fumbled his words and struggled to gather his thoughts.
Allies accused by the committee of facilitating a cover-up include deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini, former first Lady Jill Biden’s chief of staff Anthony Bernal and White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor.
All three took the Fifth Amendment when they were asked to testify.
The committee took particular aim at O’Connor, writing that his refusal to answer questions, combined with testimony indicating that he “may have succumbed to political pressure from the inner circle… legitimizes the public’s concerns that Dr. O’Connor was not forthright in carrying out his ultimate duties to the country.”
As part of the report, Comer recommended the District of Columbia Board of Medicine review O’Connor’s actions for “any potential wrongdoing.”
Other members of Biden’s inner circle, including his chief of staff Ronald Klain, counselor Steven Ricchetti, senior adviser, Michael Donilon, senior communications adviser Anita Dunn and former press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre were also hauled before the committee.
“Despite this sham investigation, every White House official testified President Biden fully executed his duties as President of the United States,” said Democrat ranking rember Robert Garcia. “The testimonies also make it clear the former President authorized every executive order, pardon, and use of the autopen.”
With Biden out of office, the spotlight this week turned to Trump’s health issues, after the 79-year-old president let slip that he had an MRI scan as part of his latest check-up.
The October 10 check raised eyebrows at the time, as it was the second in six months and took place amid ongoing speculation over his deeply bruised hands and swollen ankles.
His latest revelation of an MRI has now fueled further speculation, with a prominent cardiologist, Dr Jonathan Reiner, saying he believes the president may have quietly had the scan because he showed symptoms associated with a neurological issue.
“They can be neurologic symptoms that prompt an MRI. They could be back pain that prompts an MRI. There can be issues with the heart that would prompt an MRI. And for those reasons, the public should really be told, you know, why did the president undergo the test, what consultants he saw, and what was the result of the testing?” he said.
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