Newly disclosed internal communications suggest widespread uncertainty among Biden White House staff regarding the handling of clemency decisions, with senior officials expressing confusion over whether President Joe Biden had personally reviewed pardons before they were finalized.

Internal emails obtained by The New York Post indicate that aides struggled to reconcile Biden’s verbal approvals with the mechanical signing of documents using an autopen. A top White House aide reportedly stated, “He doesn’t review the warrants,” highlighting a lack of direct oversight. Another official drafted a template for pardons under the assumption that Biden had verbally approved them, despite no evidence of such direct involvement.

Thousands of clemency actions were processed hours later on January 17, raising questions about their legitimacy. Emails show White House Staff Secretary Stef Feldman seeking confirmation from senior advisors that Biden had authorized specific commutations, including for inmates convicted of crack cocaine offenses. A key document outlining the pardons was signed by the autopen only after the president’s verbal approval was allegedly given days earlier.

The Justice Department faced additional challenges in implementing the decisions, as inmate名单 were not provided until after public announcements. Some legal experts argue that while auto-signed documents hold legal weight, they must accurately reflect presidential intent—a criterion reportedly debated among staff.

President Trump recently criticized the pardons as “worthless” and announced plans to replace Biden’s image on the Presidential Wall of Fame with a depiction of the autopen. The controversy continues as investigations into the clemency process unfold.