A government watchdog has accused the Biden administration of using an autopen to sign nearly all of former President Joe Biden’s executive orders, fueling questions about who was truly making key decisions during his presidency.
An autopen is an electromechanical device designed to replicate a person’s signature with precision. It can be used by high-ranking officials, including U.S. presidents, to sign large volumes of documents without requiring their direct involvement. While it is legally recognized in certain cases, its use in signing critical legal documents—especially without clear oversight—has prompted questions about authenticity and accountability.
According to a report from the Oversight Project, an arm of the Heritage Foundation, every document bearing Biden’s signature—except for the letter announcing his withdrawal from the 2024 race—appears to have been signed by an autopen. The findings have put a spotlight on Biden’s cognitive state and whether unelected officials were making decisions on his behalf.
“WHOEVER CONTROLLED THE AUTOPEN CONTROLLED THE PRESIDENCY,” the Oversight Project declared on X, along with images comparing Biden’s signatures. The watchdog alleges that throughout Biden’s term, key executive actions—including orders, pardons, and directives—were likely signed without his direct involvement.
the alleged autopen signature via Oversight Project
The controversy follows Biden’s own admission to Speaker Mike Johnson that he did not recall signing an executive order pausing LNG exports. That, coupled with the new findings, is leading critics to question whether Biden was fully in command during his presidency—or if key decisions were made by an unknown group of officials controlling the autopen.
The signature from the letter announcing Biden was dropping out of the race
With mounting pressure from Republicans and transparency advocates, calls are growing for Congress to investigate who had control over Biden’s presidential signings and whether the American people were misled about who was truly running the country.
Last week, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey urged the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether aides to former President Biden concealed his cognitive decline
to push a far-left agenda. In a public letter, Bailey asserted that much of Biden’s final policies are “legally void” and that staffers may have exploited his condition to issue orders without his knowing approval.
“By now, Biden’s mental decline is famous,” Bailey wrote to Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz. “Under the 25th Amendment, his inability to make decisions should have meant a succession of power.” He further claimed Biden’s staffers issued “aggressively much farther to the left” orders that should be invalid.
Republicans long accused Biden’s aides of shielding him from scrutiny, limiting unscripted appearances and interactions with the press. Some spending disclosures suggest progressive officials used his decline to direct funds toward pet initiatives. For example, the Department of Government Efficiency recently flagged a $2 billion grant from Biden’s EPA to an organization founded by Stacey Abrams.
“Who has been running the country for the last few years?” Bailey asked in his letter. “I fear that Mr. Biden… was a mere puppet for far-left, unelected staffers. The people deserve to know the truth.”
