Latest news with #HisDisastrousChoicetoRunAgain
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Comer demands interviews with former top Biden aides as part of probe into mental acuity
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) is expanding his probe into former President Biden's mental acuity by demanding interviews with some of his former top aides. Comer on Wednesday sent letters to former chief-of-staff Ron Klain, senior adviser Anita Dunn, former counselor Steve Ricchetti, and aides Michael Donilon and Bruce Reed. 'The scope of your responsibilities — both official and otherwise — and personal interactions within the Oval Office cannot go without investigation. If White House staff carried out a strategy lasting months or even years to hide the chief executive's condition — or to perform his duties — Congress may need to consider a legislative response,' Comer wrote in a letter to Klain. While the letters demand a transcribed interview, they also ask the recipients if they 'will require a subpoena to compel your attendance.' The Hill reached out to Klain and a representative for Dunn for comment but was not immediately able to reach the other aides for comment. Comer during the last Congress requested interviews with three other White House aides, as well as Biden's physician. New books, including 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,' have reignited debate about Biden's mental acuity while in office and whether he experienced cognitive decline. Since President Trump took office, the GOP has taken a number of steps focusing on Biden. The White House confirmed Tuesday that pardon attorney Ed Martin would be reviewing Biden's pardons for his family members, as well as some other clemencies granted during his final days in office. And the Justice Department last month released the full tapes of Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur, one in which the attorney said Biden appeared to have memory lapses. While president, Biden released the full transcript of the conversation. Biden, through a spokesperson, has rejected claims he did not have the mental acuity to manage the presidency. 'We continue to await anything that shows where Joe Biden had to make a presidential decision or where national security was threatened or where he was unable to do his job,' a spokesperson said in response to the book release. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
4 days ago
- General
- The Hill
Comer demands interviews with former top Biden aides as part of probe into mental acuity
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) is expanding his probe into former President Biden's mental acuity by demanding interviews with some of his former top aides. Comer on Wednesday sent letters to former chief-of-staff Ron Klain, senior adviser Anita Dunn, former counselor Steve Ricchetti, and aides Michael Donilon and Bruce Reed. 'The scope of your responsibilities—both official and otherwise—and personal interactions within the Oval Office cannot go without investigation. If White House staff carried out a strategy lasting months or even years to hide the chief executive's condition—or to perform his duties—Congress may need to consider a legislative response,' Comer wrote in a letter to Klain. While the letters demand a transcribed interview, they also ask the recipient if 'you will require a subpoena to compel your attendance.' The Hill reached out to Klain and a representative for Dunn for comment but was not immediately able to reach the other aides for comment. Comer during the last Congress had requested interviews with three other White House aides, as well as Biden's physician. New books, including 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,' have reignited debate about Biden's mental acuity while in office and whether he experienced cognitive decline. Since President Trump took office, the GOP has taken a number of steps focusing on Biden. The White House confirmed Tuesday that Pardon Attorney Ed Martin would be reviewing Biden's pardons for his family members, as well as some other clemencies granted during his final days in office. And the Justice Department last month released the full tapes of Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur, one in which the attorney said Biden appeared to have memory lapses. While president, Biden released the full transcript of the conversation. Biden, through a spokesperson, has rejected claims he did not have the mental acuity to manage the presidency. 'We continue to await anything that shows where Joe Biden had to make a presidential decision or where national security was threatened or where he was unable to do his job,' a spokesperson said in response to the book release.
The Hill
5 days ago
- General
- The Hill
Trump DOJ reviewing Biden pardons
The Department of Justice is reviewing pardons doled out under former President Biden, citing concerns about whether Biden himself was making decisions about clemency power, a senior administration official confirmed to The Hill. The official told The Hill that pardon attorney Ed Martin will lead an independent review to determine if 'unelected staffers' took advantage of Biden when it came to pardons and commutations. 'The American people deserve to know the extent to which unelected staffers and an autopen acted as a proxy president due to the incompetence and infirmity of the previous president,' White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in a statement. 'President Trump was elected to restore the integrity and transparency of the office, and answering the question of who was actually running this country for four years is well within the president's rights.' Martin was originally Trump's choice to serve as the top prosecutor in the District of Columbia. His nomination was dropped in the face of Republican opposition in the Senate over his ties to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The pardon review comes as fresh reporting and new books, including 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,' have reignited debate about Biden's mental acuity while in office and whether he experienced cognitive decline. A Biden spokesperson told The Hill that the former president and his team thoughtfully reviewed requests for pardons and commutations and pointed to Biden issuing more than 2,500 individual acts of clemency. Biden allies have more broadly pushed back on claims that the former president was not carrying out his duties while in office. Biden issued more than 80 pardons during his four years in office, and he commuted the sentences of thousands of individuals. The vast majority of his acts of clemency were granted to nonviolent offenders, including numerous individuals who had been charged with nonviolent drug offenses. But some of his more controversial uses of the pardon power came toward the end of his term. Biden granted a full pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, who had been found guilty on federal gun charges and pleaded guilty to federal tax charges. Hunter Biden had been a political target for Republicans throughout his father's time in office. Biden also granted blanket pardons in the final moments of his term to five family members and several former government officials who had been the targets of political attacks from Trump and his allies. To be sure, President Trump has further exacerbated questions about presidential clemency power and how it can disproportionately benefit those with connections to the administration. Trump during his first term used clemency powers on political allies such as Paul Manafort, Steve Bannon, Roger Stone and Michael Flynn. Trump also pardoned nearly all Jan. 6 defendants on his first day in office.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Cohen, Jackson urge Trump to reconsider pardons denied by Biden
Five individuals who sought pardons from former President Biden are calling for his clemency decisions to be reexamined amid fresh debate over his mental sharpness while in office. Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, rabbi and former political candidate Michael Rothenberg, cardiologist Michael Jones and radio host Warren Ballentine outlined in an op-ed published by The Hill on Monday that they completed the process to apply for pardons under the Biden administration but were ultimately denied. All five were convicted of nonviolent federal crimes dating back to 2013, and all five are asking President Trump to reconsider their pardon requests. 'Biden's pardons of close associates and family members raised serious ethical and legal concerns, particularly when others in similar situations were denied pardons,' the five wrote in an op-ed for The Hill. 'The issue at hand was not about his legal right to grant pardons, but whether his cognitive condition affected the integrity of such decisions,' they added. 'This is particularly noteworthy since Biden used the full Nixon-era formula in granting 'full, complete, absolute and unconditional' pardons to members of his family, covering a lengthy period of time and without citing any specific alleged wrongdoing on their part.' Jackson said in an interview that his push for reconsideration extended to roughly 70 million Americans who had served their sentences doled out by judges and now find themselves in a 'perpetual state of felonization' where it can be difficult to find a job or get housing. The op-ed comes as fresh reporting and new books, including 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,' have reignited debate about Biden's mental acuity while in office and whether he experienced cognitive decline. A Biden spokesperson told The Hill that the former president and his team thoughtfully reviewed requests for pardons and commutations and pointed to Biden issuing more than 2,500 individual acts of clemency. Biden issued more than 80 pardons during his four years in office, and he commuted the sentences of thousands of individuals. The vast majority of his acts of clemency were granted to nonviolent offenders, including numerous individuals who had been charged with nonviolent drug offenses. But some of his more controversial uses of the pardon power came toward the end of his term. Biden granted a full pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, who had been found guilty on federal gun charges and pleaded guilty to federal tax charges. Hunter Biden had been a political target for Republicans throughout his father's time in office. Former President Biden also granted blanket pardons in the final moments of his term to five family members and several former government officials who had been the targets of political attacks from Trump and his allies. Biden and his allies have staunchly and repeatedly refuted claims that others in the building were making major decisions or that Biden lacked the mental and physical sharpness to carry out his duties. Jackson, the son of civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, served 17 years in Congress before resigning in 2012 amid a criminal probe. He pleaded guilty in 2013 to conspiring to defraud his reelection campaign of roughly $750,000 and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal tax crimes, campaign finance violations and lying to Congress. He later became a witness in President Trump's 2024 criminal trial over an alleged hush money scheme. Ballentine was convicted of fraud in 2013. An appeals court dismissed his appeal in 2016. Rothenberg was sentenced in 2014 on a charge of wire fraud connected to his campaign for a seat on the DeKalb County, Ga., Superior Court. Jones was found guilty on one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. 'No one disputes the president's constitutional discretion in wielding the pardon power. But pardons must be given fairly, justly, free of undue influence,' the five wrote in their op-ed. In an interview Monday, Jackson told The Hill that he did not submit a formal pardon application under the Obama administration or the first Trump administration, though he did reach out to then-Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows, a former colleague in the House, in the waning weeks of Trump's first term. Jesse Jackson Jr. noted that many pardon recipients have not submitted formal pardon applications, either. In addition to Jackson's application, his father wrote to Biden last December urging a complete and unconditional pardon for his son. Jackson's pardon application was denied on Biden's final day in office, and he was encouraged to reapply under the incoming administration. To be sure, President Trump has further exacerbated questions about presidential clemency power and how it can disproportionately benefit those with connections to the administration. Trump during his first term used clemency powers on political allies such as Paul Manafort, Steve Bannon, Roger Stone and Michael Flynn. Already in his second term, Trump has pardoned a former Republican congressman who was charged with fraud, commuted the federal sentence of a notorious Chicago gang leader and pardoned reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were convicted on bank fraud and tax evasion charges and whose daughter spoke at last summer's Republican National Convention. Trump also pardoned nearly all Jan. 6 defendants on his first day in office. Jackson's argument is that those convicted of federal offenses or who pleaded guilty to federal offenses must carry the social and economic costs of 'felonization' well beyond their time served. Jackson asserted that Trump could take sweeping executive clemency action that would be worthy of international recognition. 'We'd like Donald Trump to reinstate every pardon application that Joe Biden did not review, because he only reviewed clearly his family's,' Jackson told The Hill. 'This is the path to the Nobel Peace Prize,' Jackson added. 'How many people can you help without Congress, without the courts? These people will be forever grateful to him.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Cohen, Jackson Jr. urge Trump to reconsider pardons denied by Biden
Five individuals who sought pardons from former President Biden are calling for his clemency decisions to be reexamined amid fresh debate over his mental sharpness while in office. Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, rabbi and former venture capitalist Michael Rothenberg, cardiologist Michael Jones and radio host Warren Ballentine outlined in an op-ed published by The Hill on Monday that they completed the process to apply for pardons under the Biden administration but were ultimately denied. All five were convicted of nonviolent federal crimes dating back to 2013, and all five are asking President Trump to reconsider their pardon requests. 'Biden's pardons of close associates and family members raised serious ethical and legal concerns, particularly when others in similar situations were denied pardons,' the five wrote in an op-ed for The Hill. 'The issue at hand was not about his legal right to grant pardons, but whether his cognitive condition affected the integrity of such decisions,' they added. 'This is particularly noteworthy since Biden used the full Nixon-era formula in granting 'full, complete, absolute and unconditional' pardons to members of his family, covering a lengthy period of time and without citing any specific alleged wrongdoing on their part.' Jackson said in an interview that his push for reconsideration extended to roughly 70 million Americans who had served their sentences doled out by judges and now find themselves in a 'perpetual state of felonization' where it can be difficult to find a job or get housing. The op-ed comes as fresh reporting and new books, including 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,' have reignited debate about Biden's mental acuity while in office and whether he experienced cognitive decline. A Biden spokesperson told The Hill that the former president and his team thoughtfully reviewed requests for pardons and commutations and pointed to Biden issuing more than 2,500 individual acts of clemency. Biden issued more than 80 pardons during his four years in office, and he commuted the sentences of thousands of individuals. The vast majority of his acts of clemency were granted to nonviolent offenders, including numerous individuals who had been charged with nonviolent drug offenses. But some of his more controversial use of the pardon power came toward the end of his term. Biden granted a full pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, who had been found guilty on federal gun charges and pleaded guilty to federal tax charges. Hunter Biden had been a political target for Republicans throughout his father's time in office. Then-President Biden also granted blanket pardons in the final moments of his term to five family members and several former government officials who had been the targets of political attacks from Trump and his allies. Biden and his allies have staunchly and repeatedly refuted claims that others in the building were making major decisions or that Biden lacked the mental and physical sharpness to carry out his duties. Jackson Jr., the son of civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, served 17 years in Congress before resigning in 2012 amid a criminal probe. He pleaded guilty in 2013 to conspiring to defraud his reelection campaign of roughly $750,000 and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal tax crimes, campaign finance violations and lying to Congress. He later became a witness in President Trump's 2024 criminal trial over an alleged hush money scheme. Ballentine was convicted of fraud in 2013. An appeals court dismissed his appeal in 2016. Rothenberg was convicted in 2023 on multiple money launder and fraud charges. Jones was found guilty on one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. 'No one disputes the president's constitutional discretion in wielding the pardon power. But pardons must be given fairly, justly, free of undue influence,' the five wrote in their op-ed. In an interview Monday, Jackson Jr. told The Hill that he did not submit a formal pardon application under the Obama administration or the first Trump administration, though he did reach out to then-Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows, a former colleague in the House, in the waning weeks of Trump's first term. Jackson Jr. noted that many pardon recipients have not submitted formal pardon applications, either. In addition to Jackson Jr.'s application, Jesse Jackson Sr. wrote to Biden last December urging a complete and unconditional pardon for his son. Jackson Jr.'s pardon application was denied on Biden's final day in office, and he was encouraged to reapply under the incoming administration. To be sure, President Trump has further exacerbated questions about presidential clemency power and how it can disproportionately benefit those with connections to the administration. Trump during his first term used clemency powers on political allies like Paul Manafort, Steve Bannon, Roger Stone and Michael Flynn. Already in his second term, Trump has pardoned a former Republican congressman who was charged with fraud, commuted the federal sentence of a notorious Chicago gang leader and pardoned reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were convicted on bank fraud and tax evasion charges and whose daughter spoke at last summer's Republican National Convention. Trump also pardoned nearly all Jan. 6 defendants on his first day in office. Jackson Jr.'s argument is that those convicted of federal offenses or who pleaded guilty to federal offenses must carry the social and economic costs of 'felonization' well beyond their time served. Jackson Jr. asserted that Trump could take sweeping executive clemency action that would be worthy of international recognition. 'We'd like Donald Trump to reinstate every pardon application that Joe Biden did not review, because he only reviewed clearly his family's,' Jackson Jr. told The Hill. 'This is the path to the Nobel Peace Prize,' Jackson Jr. added. 'How many people can you help without Congress, without the courts? These people will be forever grateful to him.'
