House Oversight Committee Alleges Former President Biden Did Not Personally Author Or Approve Key Executive Actions, Refers Case To Department Of Justice 

Tuesday, October 28, 2025, 11:45 P.M. ET. 6 Minute Read, By Jennifer Hodges, Political Editor: Englebrook Independent News,

WASHINGTON, DC.- In a sweeping 91-page report released Monday, the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform accused the Biden White House of operating what it calls “The Autopen Presidency.” The report alleges that President Joe Biden’s aides, not the President himself, exercised executive authority during the final years of his administration, including authorizing actions that bore his mechanical signature.

     The Committee’s findings, if verified, could call into question the legitimacy of multiple presidential orders, clemency warrants, and policy directives. The report also refers President Biden’s longtime physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, to the D.C. Board of Medicine for alleged professional misconduct and requests a Department of Justice review of the Biden Administration’s executive record.

Key Findings: Alleged Use Of Autopen And Lack Of Oversight;

     According to the report, investigators found that a significant portion of Biden’s official executive actions were signed using an autopen, a mechanical device that replicates a person’s signature.
Of the 57 clemency warrants issued during Biden’s term, at least 32 were allegedly signed via autopen, affecting more than 4,000 individuals. The Committee contends that, absent documented proof of Biden’s personal authorization, those actions should be considered “void.”

     “If the former president did not explicitly approve the action, then the Committee finds the action taken through use of the autopen as void,” the report reads.

     The Committee’s Republican majority argues that aides exceeded their constitutional authority by directing or implementing executive actions under Biden’s name. The report recommends that the Department of Justice determine whether those aides violated federal law through “unauthorized exercise of executive power.”

     Legal experts note that autopen use has precedent dating back decades, including by Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and is legal when the President personally authorizes its use. The Oversight Committee, however, insists that no verifiable record of such authorization exists in many of the Biden-era cases.

Cognitive Decline And Alleged “Gaslighting”

     Beyond the mechanical-signature issue, the Oversight report levels deeper accusations: that White House aides and medical officials knowingly concealed President Biden’s physical and cognitive decline from the public and even from members of his Cabinet.

     The report cites interviews, staff communications, and witness testimony suggesting aides tightly controlled Biden’s schedule, filtered briefings, and limited unscripted appearances after his widely criticized June 2024 debate performance.

     “Senior staff coordinated a campaign to gaslight the American public, suppressing concerns about the President’s health while privately managing a steep decline in his capacity,” the Committee asserts.

     While critics call the allegations politically motivated, the report’s language is straightforward in accusing the administration of deception, describing what it calls a “cover-up culture” inside the Biden White House.

     Democratic members of the Committee countered that the majority’s conclusions were based on speculation and selective testimony rather than verified medical evidence.

Medical Oversight And The President’s Physician;

     Central to the controversy is Dr. Kevin O’Connor, President Biden’s personal physician since 2009 and White House doctor during his term. The Committee faults O’Connor for releasing a February 2024 medical summary describing Biden as “a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male fit to execute the duties of the Presidency,” despite never administering a cognitive test.

     O’Connor declined to appear before the Committee, citing patient confidentiality, a move lawmakers said “obstructed legitimate oversight.” The report urges the D.C. Board of Medicine to investigate whether O’Connor’s omissions and public statements constituted professional misconduct or violation of medical ethics.

     The White House defended O’Connor’s record, calling the referral “an act of political intimidation against a career medical professional.”

Invalid Executive Actions And DOJ Referral;

     The Committee’s legal memorandum, attached to the report, asserts that executive orders, pardons, and directives issued without direct presidential authorization could be legally invalid. It has therefore formally referred the matter to the U.S. Department of Justice for review, including the actions of aides accused of exercising presidential powers on Biden’s behalf.

     The Justice Department has not yet commented, but is expected to assign the referral to its Office of Legal Counsel for preliminary evaluation.

     “The evidence presented raises fundamental questions about the legitimacy of governance and the misuse of delegated executive authority,” the Committee’s summary reads.

Obstruction, Aides’ Silence, And Fifth Amendment Invocations;

     The report names several former senior aides, including Annie Tomasini, Anthony Bernal, and Ashley Williams, who either invoked their Fifth Amendment rights or declined to testify entirely.
Republican investigators cite this as evidence of a “wall of silence” protecting the President’s inner circle.

     Democrats on the Committee denounced that conclusion, arguing that invoking constitutional rights “is not an admission of guilt” and that no evidence shows Biden was uninvolved in policymaking.

White House And Democratic Response;

The Biden camp quickly dismissed the Oversight findings. A spokesperson stated,

     “Every decision of the Biden presidency was made by President Biden. The autopen is a long-standing administrative tool, and any suggestion of wrongdoing is a political stunt.”

     Democratic Committee members issued a minority report labeling the document “deeply partisan” and “unsupported by verified documentation.”They also note that no court has ever ruled an autopen-signed document invalid if the President authorized it, a distinction they argue Republicans deliberately overlook.

     Still, some independent legal scholars acknowledge that the Oversight referral could compel the DOJ to examine the broader issue of traceable authorization, an administrative matter that might have real constitutional implications.

Next Steps And Legal Implications;

The Committee’s recommendations include:

• A DOJ investigation into all executive actions bearing autopen signatures.
• Review by the D.C. Board of Medicine of Dr. O’Connor’s professional conduct.
• Possible legislation requiring authentication records for presidential signatures.
• Examination of aides’ authority in executing executive actions without verified consent.

     Legal analysts predict a lengthy process. Courts will ultimately decide whether any of the challenged acts, particularly clemency grants, can be invalidated after issuance.

Analysis: Precedent And Political Context

     Presidential use of the autopen has historical precedent, notably by Presidents Eisenhower, Reagan, and Obama. It is generally accepted that when the President provides direct authorization, the President is authorized. What sets the current controversy apart, observers say, is the allegation of absent oversight and possible incapacity.

     The Oversight report lands amid an election cycle already dominated by questions about the president’s health and fitness. Biden’s 2024 debate performance, marked by prolonged pauses and slurred responses, triggered bipartisan concern and intensified scrutiny of his aides’ management.

Republican leaders contend the report reveals a pattern of deception; Democrats say it’s a political weaponization of congressional authority. Regardless, the Justice Department’s next move could define the scope of presidential accountability in the modern era.

Editor’s Note:

     This article is based on the official October 28, 2025, report of the U.S. House Oversight Committee, corroborated through primary reporting from The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, ABC News, Washington Examiner, and Newsweek. All quotations and figures have been verified from these sources. Allegations contained in the Committee’s report remain under investigation and have not been adjudicated in court. Englebrook Independent News continues to monitor any DOJ response and medical review proceedings.