Former President Joe Biden has responded to mounting scrutiny over his administration’s controversial use of an autopen to approve a wave of clemency grants during his time in office. In a recent interview, Biden firmly stood by the decision, insisting that the process remained legally sound, transparent, and guided by his direct oversight.
During his final years in office, Biden’s team processed a large volume of clemency applications aimed at granting second chances to non-violent offenders. To handle the sheer number of approvals efficiently, the White House employed the use of an autopen—a mechanical device that can reproduce a person’s signature—to expedite document finalization. Critics argued this approach undermined the gravity of presidential pardons and commutations, raising concerns over whether each case truly received presidential attention.
Biden dismissed those claims, stating that every clemency case was thoroughly vetted by legal teams, reviewed by his advisors, and personally approved by him before any signature was applied. “The use of the autopen,” he explained, “was never about avoiding responsibility—it was about making sure justice wasn’t delayed for hundreds of people who had already waited far too long.”
He emphasized that the device was only used after he had fully reviewed and signed off on each recommendation. “These were not rubber-stamped decisions. They were thoughtful, considered, and aligned with our broader goals for criminal justice reform,” Biden said.
While the former president acknowledged the controversy, he maintained that the alternative—processing each signature manually—would have introduced unnecessary delays and created a bureaucratic bottleneck in an already overburdened system.
Biden’s comments come amid ongoing debate over how future administrations should handle large-scale clemency efforts. His defense highlights the balance between efficiency and personal accountability in high-level executive decisions, especially when lives and second chances hang in the balance.