President Donald Trump has argued that the pardon signed by his predecessor, Joe Biden, is invalid. His reasoning: They are said to have been signed with an autopen, a signature machine that has been used by the US government for decades. Unfortunately for Trump, the president’s pardon doesn’t have to be legally signed at all.
on monday, Trump declared Some amnesty issued by Biden “is “empty, empty, empty, and no more power or effect” due to the fact that it was done by an autopen (emphasis original). Previously used by multiple past presidents, Autopens is a programmable machine with mechanical arms that can automatically write specific signatures.
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Specifically, Trump’s announcement was targeted Biden issued a preemptive pardon To a member of the House Committee who investigated the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Biden is hoping to grant these pardons hours before Trump’s inauguration, protecting members of the House committee from retaliation from the president-elect.
Trump kept his intentions to chase after those who investigated the attacks. “It should be tested for fraud and rebellion.” Now the president is trying to eliminate obstacles to doing so, claiming that Biden not only didn’t sign the pardon, but he was totally unaware that they weren’t even aware that what was happening wasn’t even right.
“Joe Biden didn’t sign them, but more importantly, he didn’t know anything about them!” Trump advocated a true society. “The necessary pardon documents were not explained to Biden and were not approved. People who knew nothing about them and may have committed crimes.”
Trump has not provided any evidence to support these allegations. When asked by a reporter whether such evidence existed, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt simply said“You are a reporter, you should find out.” Usually, the parties are the obligation to make an allegation to provide evidence of the claim.
Biden issued a statement Announcement of amnesty They were published at the time. He was also talking about the possibility of issuing them. Previous interview.
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Has Trump annulded Biden’s President’s amnesty?
Despite Trump’s attempts to override Biden’s pardon, the president has said of a true society that House committee members “will be investigated at the highest level,” but his declaration has no actual legal consequences.
Whether Biden uses an automatic pen to sign a House Committee pardon, there is no need to sign a presidential pardon. In fact, as Trump suggests, there is no “necessary pardon document.” Last year, a US court held the president’s amnesty in writing, which was evidence of what happened. The Constitution doesn’t need to write them down at allthere are far fewer signatures. As mentioned earlier, Biden’s statement made it clear that he issued an amnesty.
Can the US President sign documents using an automatic pen?
Credit: Autoopen Company
Using an autopen will not disable the document even if a signature is required. The validity of the documents signed by Autoopen has not been tested in court, but the US Department of Justice (DOJ) published its opinion in 2005. It is legal for the president to sign bills with an autopen. This advice was issued in response to a request for guidance on the issue of former President George W. Bush.
“The president does not need to personally carry out the physical act of approving and deciding to sign his signature for the bill to become law,” the DOJ wrote. “In fact, the president may sign a bill…for example, by directing that the president’s signature be pasted onto such bills, for example, by Autoopen.”
Barack Obama became the first US president to sign the bill to law with an autopen When he extended the Patriot Act in 2011. He used it afterwards Several other times Sign the invoice when you cannot put the pen directly on the paper. Biden also used an autopen Sign at least one invoice. If all documents signed using an autopen are found to be invalid, there could be significant consequences well beyond the House Committee.
US officials have already used autopens to sign letters for decades, including the former Secretary of Defense. Donald Rumsfeld And former president John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. Trump himself admitted to using automatic pens, and told reporters on Sunday, “As an example, I might use it to send a letter because it’s good.” However, Trump claimed he was not using machines to sign the resulting documents.
“I sign the pardon and all of it [Biden] It’s dishonorable that it was signed Autoopen.” Trump saidappears to be a simple acknowledgement that Biden actually signed them.
Trump on Sunday admitted that the validity of Biden’s pardon is a court-determined issue, but the White House has given no indication that it has filed a legal assignment. Still, it appears that the President has already made up his mind on the issue, regardless of the lack of evidence.
