Comer unleashes on Biden, demands DOJ probe of autopen use in scathing new report
In a recent development, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, has called for a comprehensive investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) into former President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen for signing executive actions. This demand follows the release of a 100-page report by the committee, which details findings from a months-long investigation into the Biden administration. The report raises serious allegations that Biden’s inner circle may have concealed signs of the president’s cognitive decline, suggesting that executive actions signed via autopen may not have been fully authorized by Biden. The committee argues that, without adequate documentation proving Biden’s direct involvement, these decisions could be deemed legally void.
The report highlights a troubling “haphazard documentation process” concerning pardons issued by Biden, raising questions about whether these decisions were made independently by the president. Comer’s report also delves into the involvement of Hunter Biden in pardon discussions, noting testimony from former chief of staff Jeff Zients, who indicated that Hunter was present during meetings about pardons, including those involving family members and high-profile individuals like Dr. Anthony Fauci. Furthermore, the investigation scrutinizes the actions of Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s former physician, accusing him of not conducting a cognitive exam and possibly succumbing to political pressure. Comer has called for an investigation into O’Connor’s conduct, suggesting that his actions may have contributed to a cover-up of Biden’s health issues.
Biden’s allies have vehemently rejected the findings of the report, labeling the investigation as politically motivated and baseless. A spokesperson for Biden asserted that the claims lack merit and emphasized that the president made all decisions independently. They urged congressional Republicans to shift their focus from what they described as political retribution to more pressing national issues, such as preventing a government shutdown. The ongoing debate around Biden’s cognitive health has been exacerbated by media portrayals and heightened scrutiny following his performance in public appearances, further complicating the political landscape as the 2024 election approaches.
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House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., is demanding the Department of Justice (DOJ) conduct a “comprehensive” investigation into former President
Joe Biden’s
autopen use.
The committee’s GOP majority released a 100-page report on Tuesday morning detailing findings from its monthslong probe into Biden’s White House, specifically whether his inner circle covered up signs of mental decline in the ex-president, and if that alleged cover-up extended to executive actions signed via autopen without Biden’s full awareness.
“Faced with the cognitive decline of President Joe Biden, White House aides — at the direction of the inner circle — hid the truth about the former president’s condition and fitness for office,” the report said.
The report also detailed a “haphazard documentation process” for pardons made by Biden, which the committee argued left room for doubt over whether the former president made those decisions himself.
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“In the absence of sufficient contemporaneous documentation indicating that cognitively deteriorating President Biden himself made a given executive decision, such decisions do not carry the force of law and should be considered void,” the GOP report said.
“The Department of Justice should immediately conduct a review of all executive actions taken by President Biden between January 20, 2021, and January 19, 2025. Given the patterns and findings detailed herein, this review should focus particularly on all acts of clemency. However, it should also include all other types of executive actions.”
In addition to concerns about who signed off on Biden’s executive actions, Comer spent part of the report raising concerns about Hunter Biden’s role in the pardon process.
Fox News Digital previously reported
that ex-Biden chief of staff Jeff Zients told investigators that Hunter Biden was in the room for some pardon discussions — specifically the controversial preemptive pardons the ex-president gave to his relatives.
“It was towards the end,” said a portion of Zients’ transcript included in the report. “What comes to mind is the family discussions. But I don’t know — that doesn’t mean that was it. It was the pardons towards the end, very end of the administration. And I think it was a few meetings, not many meetings.”
Comer’s report said, “Zients testified that President Biden included his son, Hunter Biden, in the decision-making process for and meetings about pardons.”
“This apparently included the meeting to discuss the pardons of five Biden family members, Dr. Anthony Fauci, General Mark Milley, and the members of Congress who served on the Select Subcommittee to Investigate the January 6th attack on the United States Capitol, and their staff,” the report said.
A Biden spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that the investigation was “baseless.”
The Oversight Committee called a total of 14 witnesses across three months, mainly consisting of top Biden administration aides — including some who had known him for decades.
Despite nearly 47 hours of interviews and sworn depositions, however, Comer suggested he believed aides covered for Biden even in the committee room.
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“Throughout the Committee’s investigation, senior Biden White House aides presented a perspective of President Biden’s cognitive health completely disconnected from that of the American public,” the report said.
“Not one of the Committee’s 14 witnesses was willing to admit that they ever had a concern about President Biden being in cognitive decline. In fact, numerous witnesses could not recall having a single conversation about President Biden’s cognitive health with anyone inside or outside of the White House.”
Comer spent a significant amount of time in the report criticizing former White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor. O’Connor’s sworn deposition was among the shortest sit-downs of the investigation, with the doctor having
invoked the Fifth Amendment
for all questions save for his name.
In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital alongside the report, Comer called for the D.C. Health Board of Medicine to investigate O’Connor — and potentially bar him from practicing medicine.
The GOP report called O’Connor’s alleged decision to not conduct a cognitive exam with Biden during his four-year term “reckless” and accused him of making “grossly misleading medical assessments.”
“His refusal to answer questions about the execution of his duties as physician to the president — combined with testimony indicating that Dr. O’Connor may have succumbed to political pressure from the inner circle, influencing his medical decisions and aiding in the cover-up — legitimizes the public’s concerns that Dr. O’Connor was not forthright in carrying out his ultimate duties to the country,” the report said.
“The Committee recommends that the District of Columbia Board of Medicine review the actions taken by Dr. O’Connor while serving as the White House physician to President Biden for any potential wrongdoing in the medical care of the former president –– including whether Dr. O’Connor produced false or misleading medical reports to the American people.”
O’Connor’s lawyers previously told Fox News Digital that he invoked the Fifth Amendment over concerns that the scope of the committee’s probe could run afoul of doctor-patient confidentiality standards.
Biden’s allies have repeatedly denounced Comer’s probe as political and having no basis in reality.
A Biden spokesperson pushed back hard on the report, telling Fox News Digital, “This investigation into baseless claims has confirmed what has been clear from the start: President Biden 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.”
Multiple people who spoke with the committee have argued that concerns about Biden’s mental acuity were made worse by the media and Republican pundits, particularly after his disastrous June 2024 debate against current President
Donald Trump
.
In an interview with
The New York Times
in July, Biden affirmed he “made every decision” on his own.
Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering US Politics news.
