Everybody's familiar with President Biden's last-minute pardons and it's looking like he didn't even personally sign some -- if not all -- of them. We're still not sure who exactly was making the decisions at the White House at that time but Biden's family members and others were among the preemptive pardons:
Former President Joe Biden’s use of an “autopen” to sign last-minute pardons looks like a much “bigger scandal” after the full audio of his scattered interview with special counsel Robert Hur was released Saturday, President Trump said.
“Whoever had control of the ‘AUTOPEN‘ is looking to be a bigger and bigger scandal by the moment,” Trump posted on his Truth Social before launching into a tirade against the “thugs” on the House Select January who all were granted preemptive pardons from prosecution by Biden.
Members including former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) were granted the blanket clemency during his final days in office in what appeared to be autopen-authorized documents, according to a subsequent Heritage Foundation analysis.
Rep. Jamie Raskin is another Democrat who received a preemptive pardon, quite possibly signed by the autopen, for his work on the January 6th Committee's show trial.
Raskin now wants more details about Trump's pardons to see if they're legitimate, self-awareness be damned:
Key House Democrat presses for more details on Trump's pardons, alleging "favors" to supporters. https://t.co/RMB4p4WA36
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 30, 2025
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This is rich:
Typically, pardon applications are submitted by those seeking reprieve to the U.S. pardon attorney's office for a review on the merits of their case. Pardon decisions are ultimately up to the president, but in the past, the Justice Department has said it weighs whether an applicant has taken responsibility for their actions and waited at least five years since their conviction or release from prison, among other factors.
"None of the cases you have recommended to date appears to have satisfied these standards. Instead, it appears the Administration has abruptly changed the criteria for granting presidential pardons and commutations," Raskin continued.
"The new criteria for granting pardons appear to be: showing absolute personal and political loyalty to President Trump; giving substantial financial contributions to MAGA and the President's political network; and engaging in forms of political corruption and violence that promote MAGA power and authoritarianism," the lawmaker said.
This guy has zero shame.
How about we remove his auto pen pardon first.
— Eric (@indminded135) May 30, 2025
We'll see how that plays out.
It’s OK to care about pardons again https://t.co/vxEFyEgvMT
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) May 31, 2025
What did Raskin do to warrant a pardon from whoever was manipulating Biden? https://t.co/hLL0jB9lSV
— Carl Gottlieb (@c_cgottlieb) May 31, 2025
lol this is such a laughable attempt at creating a scandal after Joe pardoned his family https://t.co/KVHXvB62qj
— grouchy one (@shawn_0707) May 31, 2025
The sudden Dem hyperventilating about Trump abusing the pardon process is projection of the highest order and yet another attempt to distract.
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