Former President Joe Biden’s final days in office are under scrutiny following reports that his chief of staff, Jeff Zients, approved a series of high-profile preemptive pardons—some signed using an autopen. The move, intended to shield officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci and Gen. Mark Milley from potential legal reprisals, has fueled allegations from former President Donald Trump and his allies.

According to the New York Times, Biden met with aides late into the night on January 19 to finalize clemency decisions. Emails show that Zients authorized the use of the autopen minutes after receiving a summary of the pardons, without Biden personally reviewing each recipient’s name. Instead, Biden reportedly approved broad criteria to determine eligibility.

Trump, who has long questioned Biden’s cognitive fitness, called the autopen use “one of the biggest scandals in 50 to 100 years,” suggesting Biden was unaware of what he was signing. He has directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate whether Biden’s use of the autopen was part of a larger cover-up of mental decline.

A White House spokesperson pushed back, accusing the Biden administration of deceiving the public and conducting “the most egregious cover-up scheme in American politics.” The controversy adds to growing Republican criticism of Biden’s capacity to serve and manage the responsibilities of the presidency.

The Pew Research Center reports Biden issued 4,245 acts of clemency during his presidency—96% between October 2024 and January 2025. Trump himself has acknowledged using an autopen for correspondence but insists he personally signs all legally binding documents.