A congressional inquiry has intensified after new reporting indicated that White House aides, rather than former President Joe Biden, used an autopen to sign at least 25 pardon and commutation warrants in the final weeks of his term. Emails cited by the New York Times show then–chief of staff Jeffrey Zients authorizing the mechanical signature on January 19, a day before the transfer of power. The warrants included a pre-emptive pardon for Anthony Fauci and other Biden allies. The House Oversight Committee, chaired by Rep. James Comer, is examining whether Biden personally reviewed the clemency decisions or whether staff effectively exercised presidential authority without his direct knowledge. Former President Donald Trump has ordered a separate executive-branch investigation, calling the episode one of the most serious abuses of presidential power in decades. Biden has defended the practice, telling the Times he "made every decision" and noting that previous presidents have legally delegated mechanical signatures. Justice Department figures show he issued 4,245 pardons and commutations during his four-year term—far more than any modern predecessor—while signing only one late-term pardon, for his son Hunter, by hand. The revelations have fueled a media clash. A recent NBC report highlighting Comer’s use of a digital signature on committee correspondence drew sharp criticism from conservatives, who argue that electronic signatures on routine letters are not comparable to staff-run autopen approvals of legally binding clemency actions. Legal scholars say the Constitution grants presidents broad pardon power, but investigators aim to determine whether the device was employed without explicit, informed authorization, potentially exposing aides to legal or legislative consequences.