- The D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office has officially closed a criminal investigation into whether former President Joe Biden and his aides used an “autopen” to unlawfully issue pardons and sign executive documents.
- The probe was launched last June following a memo from President Trump, who alleged a “conspiracy” to mask Biden’s cognitive state through mechanical signatures, potentially invalidating numerous executive actions.
- Federal prosecutors dropped the matter after failing to find a “legal hook” to pursue charges, marking another high-profile case from Pirro’s office that has ended without an indictment.
Federal prosecutors in the office of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro have ended a criminal review into the alleged use of an autopen by the Biden administration.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the investigation, which sought to determine if former President Joe Biden and his staff bypassed constitutional requirements for presidential signatures, was shuttered after investigators were unable to establish a legal basis for prosecution.
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According to sources briefed on the matter, the probe failed to uncover evidence of criminal intent or a specific violation of federal law that would justify further action.
The controversy began last year when President Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate what he termed the “abuse of presidential signatures.”
Trump’s administration argued that if Biden’s advisers had secretly used a mechanical pen to sign pardons, judicial appointments, and executive orders, those actions could be deemed legally void.
Biden dismissed the allegations at the time as a political distraction, and legal experts noted that previous administrations have utilized autopens for routine documents, though their use for high-level constitutional acts like pardons remains a subject of academic debate.
The closure of the autopen probe is the latest in a series of setbacks for U.S. Attorney Pirro’s office as it pursues investigations into Trump’s political rivals.
Recently, a grand jury notably refused to indict six Democratic lawmakers on charges related to a video urging military members to reject “unlawful orders.”
Additionally, the office is currently embroiled in a sealed legal battle with the Federal Reserve over subpoenas regarding internal renovations and congressional testimony provided by Chairman Jerome Powell.
As the political landscape shifts toward the 2026 midterms, the termination of this probe removes a significant legal shadow from the former president’s legacy.
While critics of the Biden administration continue to question the transparency of his final months in office, the Justice Department’s decision indicates that the “autopen conspiracy” lacked the evidence necessary for a courtroom.
For now, the focus of the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s office appears to be shifting toward other high-stakes investigations involving federal agencies and political figures.
