US just dept. to probe pardons issued by Biden in last days in office
Washington, June 3 (UNI) US Pardon Attorney Ed Martin informed his staff that he has been instructed to investigate the pardons issued by then-President Joe Biden during the final days of his administration, Reuters reported, citing the senior official's email.
More specifically, Martin plans to investigate whether Biden "was competent and if others were exploiting him through the use of AutoPen or other methods," the report said on Monday.
US President Donald Trump, along with senior officials and Republican lawmakers, has claimed that Joe Biden used an autopen to sign nearly all documents, raising questions about whether he was the sole individual with access to this device.
Martin's investigation is centered on the preemptive pardons Biden granted to several family members, as well as the clemency that spared 37 federal inmates from the death penalty, converting their sentences to life in prison, according to the report.
In his final days in office, Biden granted clemency to his siblings—James Biden, Frank Biden, and Valerie Biden Owens—along with their spouses, John Owens and Sara Biden. Additionally, on December 1, Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who had pleaded guilty to tax violations and was convicted on firearms-related charges.
On May 18, Biden's personal office said that the 82-year-old has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones.
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