Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) announced a formal request for access to sealed presidential records concerning the use of President Joe Biden’s autopen—a device used to authorize official documents—citing concerns about transparency and executive authority.
The move follows recent testimony from Neera Tanden, former Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, who appeared before the House Oversight Committee. During closed-door testimony, Tanden confirmed that she had authorization to use the president’s autopen from October 2021 through May 2023.
According to reports, Tanden stated that she directed the use of the autopen on various occasions without receiving direct confirmation from President Biden on each individual action. She denied any wrongdoing and emphasized that she followed existing procedures at the time.
Among the actions taken with the autopen was the signing of official pardons on December 30, 2022—a date when President Biden was on vacation in St. Croix. Tanden’s testimony suggests she may have overseen that process during his absence.
Continue reading on next page…