Latest news with #DOJInvestigation
Daily Mail
03-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Trump admin opens bombshell investigation into aging Biden's final days in office and prolific use of autopen
Donald Trump's Department of Justice has reportedly ordered a shock investigation into whether Joe Biden 'was competent' when he gave out lame duck pardons of family members and death row inmates. In an email to staffers on Monday, DOJ pardon attorney Ed Martin said he has been directed to investigate clemency granted by Biden in the waning days of his presidency, including the December pardon of his troubled son Hunter. Martin, who was recently transferred out as United States Attorney for the District of Columbia for Jeannine Pirro, wrote that the investigation involves whether Biden 'was competent and whether others were taking advantage of him through use of AutoPen or other means.' An autopen is a device used to automatically affix a signature to a document. Trump and his supporters have made a variety of claims that Biden's use of the device while president invalidated his actions or suggested that he was not fully aware of these actions. It is not known whether Biden used autopen on pardons. In March, Trump declared his predecessor's last-minute pardons 'void, vacant and of no further force or effect' as he warned that members of the House committee investigating the January 6 riots can now face prosecution. The email stated that Martin's investigation is focused on preemptive pardons Biden issued to several members of his family and clemency that spared 37 federal inmates from the death penalty, converting their sentences to life in prison. Just before he relinquished the presidency to Trump on January 20, Biden pardoned five members of his family, saying he wanted to protect them from future politically motivated investigations. The pardons went to Biden's siblings James Biden, Frank Biden and Valerie Biden Owens as well as their spouses, John Owens and Sara Biden. Biden on December 1 pardoned his son Hunter Biden, who had pleaded guilty to tax violations and was convicted on firearms-related charges. Martin's email did not specify which pardons of Biden family members were being investigated. It also did not make clear who directed Martin to launch the investigation. has reached out to the White House and the Department of Justice for comment. The Constitution gives the president broad power to issue pardons to wipe away federal criminal convictions or commutations to modify sentences. Trump himself has made extensive use of executive clemency. For instance, he granted clemency on January 20 to all of the nearly 1,600 of his supporters who faced criminal charges in connection with January 6, 2021, which was a failed attempt to prevent congressional certification of Biden's 2020 election victory over Trump. Martin told reporters last month that he viewed the presidential pardon power as 'plenary,' meaning it is absolute. 'If you use the autopen for pardon power, I don't think that that's necessarily a problem,' Martin said during a May 13 press conference, adding that he still felt the Biden pardons warranted scrutiny. The investigation appears designed to use the Justice Department to amplify questions about Biden's health and mental acuity, a conversation that has intensified in recent weeks following his cancer diagnosis and a new book revealing Democratic concerns last year about Biden's condition. Questions have since arisen about whether Biden actually signed many of the orders under his administration amid his noticeable cognitive decline after it was revealed they were signed with an autopen. The mechanical device signs documents rather than an individual. It has been used by presidents and lawmakers for decades. The Oversight Project in March 'gathered every document we could find with Biden's signature over the course of his presidency'. 'All used the same autopen signature except for the announcement that the former President was dropping out of the race last year.' It went on to share two examples from documents that it claimed showed the use of the autopen including a document from August 2022 as well as one from December 2024 with what appear to be identical signatures. The group also posted an image of Biden's signature as a comparison from when he announced he was dropping out of the race. That image shows a slight variation from the other shared documents. also examined more than 25 Biden executive orders documented on the Federal Register's office between 2021 and 2025. It found the same signature on each. A separate examination of 25 Trump signatures on orders on the Federal Register's website from his first and second administrations also found the signatures were all the same. The Oversight Project now says investigators must determine 'who controlled the autopen and what checks there were in place' to determine whether Biden actually made any of the orders. Still, it questioned if that was something that could be determined in the 'correct legal process.' Biden, who is 82, last year dropped his reelection bid amid questions about his mental acuity after a disastrous presidential debate performance. Biden was the oldest person to serve as U.S. president, and Trump is the second oldest. The former president's closest aides have dismissed those concerns, saying Biden was fully capable of making important decisions. No evidence has emerged to suggest that Biden did not intend to issue the pardons. In addition, a Justice Department memo from 2005 found it was legitimate for a subordinate to use an autopen for the president's signature.
Fox News
21-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Biden's senility scandal leads top Republican to demand DOJ probe into ‘representations' to public
EXCLUSIVE: Bombshell developments continue to emerge about former President Joe Biden's declining health along with allegations of a White House cover-up. In response, a top Republican is urging the Justice Department to investigate whether any laws were broken in how Biden's condition was presented to the public. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas is expected to write Wednesday afternoon to Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding that the DOJ open a probe into "any potential violations of federal law surrounding the representations made to the American people about the health and wellbeing (sic) of then-President Biden." In the letter obtained by Fox News Digital, Cornyn cited the May 18 report from Biden's camp that he is battling late-stage aggressive prostate cancer that had metastasized to his bones. "This announcement follows the publication of news reports calling into question the former president's capacity and awareness during his time in office," Cornyn said as other Biden critics questioned what then-White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor knew while treating the president. In the letter, Cornyn expressed concern that Biden's "associates," including O'Connor, misrepresented or made "material omissions" to the public about his mental and physical fitness. Conservatives beat the drum of Biden's alleged senility for years but were often lambasted by the mainstream media for questioning the White House's line on the matter. "I fear the American people were deliberately misled about President Biden's health. Instead of providing full transparency, which is the obligation of the commander-in-chief, important information was kept secret," Cornyn wrote. "I do not have confidence in the former president's aides and staff, including medical staff, or their ability to be honest and straightforward about President Biden's cancer diagnosis." He noted how President Donald Trump assented to calls that he take a cognitive test to demonstrate fitness for office while contrasting that with Biden's refusal, which famously resulted in a tense exchange with a CBS News correspondent when the then-president asked, "Why the hell should I take a test?" and asked if the Black news anchor was "a junkie" who might want to undergo a test for cocaine in his system. Cornyn contrasted White House claims that Biden was "fit for duty" with revelations, including those in a CNN anchor's new book, that he was only capable of working "four to six good hours" per day. "These positions are in direct conflict," Cornyn will tell Bondi, adding that despite having the world's best medical care at his fingertips, Americans have been asked to "accept coincidence after coincidence" involving his health. He also cited the 25th Amendment, which he noted provides Americans an insurance policy that their government can continue to function if the infirmity or death of a president should occur. "These actions potentially impacted the trust the American people have in their government and weakened us on the world stage." He cited a report from earlier this week that White House staff had secretly discussed the possibility that Biden would be confined to a wheelchair while still putting on a brave face to the public. Former President Franklin Roosevelt, stricken by polio, conducted the nation's business from a wheelchair. "I encourage the Department to conduct a full investigation and ensure that no federal laws were violated during the previous administration," Cornyn concluded. Fox News Digital reached out to a Biden representative for comment.
Globe and Mail
16-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Why UnitedHealth Stock Is Crashing This Week
Shares of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) are plummeting this week. The company's stock is down 27.4% as of 12:29 p.m. ET. The collapse comes as the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) gained 4.7% and the Nasdaq-100 gained 6.4%. It was reported this week that the troubled health insurance giant is facing a criminal investigation from the Department of Justice (DOJ). The report came just days after its CEO stepped down unexpectedly and the company pulled its full-year earnings guidance. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » UnitedHealth is facing another DOJ probe The Wall Street Journal reported late Wednesday that the DOJ's Health Care Fraud Unit is conducting a criminal investigation into the company for possible Medicare fraud. According to the report, the investigation has been ongoing since at least last summer. This isn't the first, however. The DOJ is already investigating the company's Medicare unit in a civil case. UnitedHealth's CEO abruptly exits as the company pulls guidance Earlier in the week, CEO Andrew Witty said he would step down for "personal reasons." On the same day, the company announced it was suspending its annual earnings forecast, citing rising medical costs. In a call for investors, chairman and now CEO Stephen Hemsley apologized: "I'm deeply disappointed in and apologize for the performance setbacks we have encountered from both external and internal challenges." The suspension follows an already lowered forecast and earnings miss revealed in April. All of this has shaken investor confidence in the healthcare giant, and its shares have plummeted 50% in just 23 trading days, marking the most severe drop for an S&P 100 company since Netflix fell 54% in May 2022, according to Dow Jones Market Data. There are just too many issues facing UnitedHealth at the moment, and this once seemingly stable investment looks far from it at the moment. I would stay away from UnitedHealth stock. Should you invest $1,000 in UnitedHealth Group right now? Before you buy stock in UnitedHealth Group, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and UnitedHealth Group wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $635,275!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $826,385!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is967% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to171%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 12, 2025
Al Jazeera
15-05-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
US DOJ investigates UnitedHealth for alleged Medicare fraud: Report
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is carrying out a criminal investigation into UnitedHealth Group for possible Medicare fraud. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) first broke the story on Wednesday. UnitedHealth said it had not been notified by the DOJ about the 'supposed criminal investigation reported', and the company stood by 'the integrity of our Medicare Advantage program'. The DOJ's healthcare-fraud unit is overseeing the criminal investigation, which focuses on the company's Medicare Advantage business practices, WSJ reported, citing people familiar with the matter. While the exact nature of the potential criminal allegations against UnitedHealth is unclear, it has been an active probe since at least last summer, the newspaper said. A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment to the WSJ about the fresh criminal probe. The department did not immediately respond to requests for comments from the Reuters news agency. Last week, UnitedHealth said in a regular filing that it had been 'involved or is currently involved in various governmental investigations, audits and reviews', without disclosing further details. The new investigation follows broader scrutiny into the Medicare Advantage programme, in which Medicare-approved plans from a private company supplement regular Medicare for Americans age 65 and older by covering more services that the government-only plans do not, such as dental and vision services. In February, the WSJ reported a civil fraud investigation into UnitedHealth's Medicare practices. The company had then said that it was unaware of any new probe. In the same month, US Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa launched an inquiry into UnitedHealth's Medicare billing practices, requesting detailed records of the company's compliance programme and other related documents. The DOJ earlier this month filed a lawsuit accusing three of the largest US health insurers of paying hundreds of millions of dollars in kickbacks to brokers in exchange for steering patients into the insurers' Medicare Advantage plans. Nearly half of the 65 million people covered by Medicare, the US programme for people aged 65 and older or with disabilities, are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans run by private insurers. The insurers are paid a set rate for each patient, but can be paid more if patients have multiple health conditions. Standard Medicare coverage is managed by the government. The health insurer has been under pressure for months. On Tuesday, UnitedHealth Group's CEO, Andrew Witty, stepped down unexpectedly, and the company simultaneously suspended its 2025 financial forecast due to rising medical costs, triggering an 18 percent drop in shares to a four-year low. Stephen Hemsley, who led the company for more than a decade until 2017, is taking back the reins following setbacks including the December murder of Brian Thompson, the CEO of its insurance unit, which catapulted UnitedHealth into the public consciousness. On Thursday, after the news of the probe broke, UnitedHealth Group shares plunged 18 percent to hit a five-year low. 'The stock is already in the doghouse with investors, and additional uncertainty will only pile on,' James Harlow, senior vice president at Novare Capital Management, which owns shares in UnitedHealth, told the news agency Reuters. If losses hold, UnitedHealth will be the worst-performing stock on the S&P 500 index in two of the last three days. The past month's selloff has wiped out nearly $300bn from UnitedHealth's market capitalization, or more than half of its value since its shares hit a record high in November.
