Claims made by former President Donald Trump alleging that President Joe Biden's pardons are invalid due to the use of an autopen have been widely refuted. Trump stated that "many" of Biden's pardons are void because they were signed automatically rather than by hand. This assertion has been met with skepticism and contradiction from legal scholars and historical records.
The autopen, a device that replicates a person's signature, has been used by numerous presidents throughout history to sign documents efficiently. Its use is particularly common for routine documents and ceremonial items. There is no legal basis to suggest that a pardon signed with an autopen is any less valid than one signed by hand.
Legal experts have pointed out that the key element of a presidential pardon is the president's intent to grant clemency, not the method of signature. The use of an autopen simply streamlines the process. The BBC and other news outlets have investigated Trump's claims and found no evidence to support the idea that autopen-signed pardons are inherently invalid. The claim appears to be based on a misunderstanding of the legal requirements for presidential pardons and the historical use of signing devices in the White House.
Trump's Claim of Invalid Biden Pardons Debunked
Former President Trump has asserted that President Biden's pardons are invalid because they were signed using an autopen, an automated signing device. Trump argues that these automated signatures render the pardons 'void.' However, legal experts and historical precedent contradict this claim. There is no evidence to support the notion that using an autopen invalidates presidential pardons, which have been utilized by presidents for decades.
Source: Read the original article at BBC