This week, President Donald Trump directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the pardons granted by former President Joe Biden to his family members, and others, in the final hours of his presidency. These pardons were signed by “autopen.”
In an email seen by Reuters, Ed Martin, the Justice Department's pardon attorney, said that the investigation involves whether Biden "was competent and whether others were taking advantage of him through use of AutoPen or other means."
That’s not all. The email also stated that Martin’s investigation focused highly on preemptive pardons that the former president issued to several of his family members. Additionally, Biden spared 37 federal inmates from the death penalty, converting their sentences to life in prison (via Reuters):
Just before he relinquished the presidency to Trump on January 20, Biden pardoned five members of his family, saying he wanted to protect them from future politically motivated investigations. The pardons went to Biden's siblings James Biden, Frank Biden and Valerie Biden Owens as well as their spouses, John Owens and Sara Biden. Biden on December 1 pardoned his son Hunter Biden, who had pleaded guilty to tax violations and was convicted on firearms-related charges.
Martin's email did not specify which pardons of Biden family members were being investigated. It also did not make clear who directed Martin to launch the investigation.
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President Biden pardoned his son Hunter in December, who had pleaded guilty to tax violations and was convicted on three felony charges relating to firearms.
The DOJ investigation comes shortly after Biden announced that he was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer. The cancer had already metastasized to his bones at the time of his diagnosis.
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