Trump declares Biden’s pardons "null and void" over Autopen use

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that pardons issued by his successor, President Joe Biden, are “null and void” due to their alleged approval via an automated signature device known as an Autopen.

In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed that Biden neither signed nor was aware of the pardons, rendering them unenforceable, Caliber.Az reports.

“The 'Pardons' that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen,” Trump wrote.

He further alleged that Biden was not briefed on the documents and suggested that those involved in the process could have committed a crime.

Trump’s remarks specifically targeted members of the House Select Committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, whom he accused of destroying and deleting evidence during their probe. He argued that the individuals who approved and signed the pardons “without the knowledge or consent” of President Biden should be investigated at the “highest level.”

The use of an Autopen for signing official documents, including pardons, is not unprecedented in U.S. politics. The device, which replicates a person’s signature, has been employed by multiple past presidents for various official matters.

By Khagan Isayev