DOJ’s Ed Martin Names Alleged ‘Gatekeepers’ In Biden ‘Autopen’ Controversy
Ed Martin, the incoming pardon attorney at the Department of Justice and head of the DOJ’s Weaponization Working Group, announced last week that he is investigating the questionable use of the presidential autopen for issuing pardons during the final days of the Biden administration.
However, Martin disclosed on Tuesday that his probe began weeks earlier, while he was still serving as the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, The Blaze reports.
Martin confirmed that the investigation into the autopen’s use has been active for some time, that he has contacted members of the Biden family, that several individuals of interest have retained legal counsel, and that a whistleblower has already come forward with serious allegations.
“I had a whistleblower in my office 10 day ago — senior, senior Democrat — saying, ‘Look, it was these three people that controlled access, and they were making money off of it,’” Martin told journalist Mark Halperin on the “2WAY Tonight” show. “I don’t know if I believe it yet, but the point is, I think, we have to get to the bottom of it for the American people and to protect the process, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Martin stated that the whistleblower was closely involved with the 2020 Biden campaign, The Blaze noted.
The pardon attorney identified three individuals as key “gatekeepers”: Ron Klain, who served as President Biden’s White House chief of staff from 2021 to 2023 and returned last year to assist with debate preparations; former senior Biden adviser Anita Dunn; and Robert Bauer, former personal attorney to President Barack Obama.
Martin later added two more names to the list—Steve Ricchetti, former counselor to President Biden and chairman of his 2020 campaign, and “obviously Jill [Biden],” the First Lady.
He also told Halperin that he asked the whistleblower about the involvement of Susan Rice or others, but “they said, ‘No, these were the ones.’”
WATCH:
These revelations—combined with reports of staff and family members making decisions on President Biden’s behalf; evidence showing his signature appearing on official documents while he was on vacation; his alleged admission of having no memory of a critical January 2024 order pausing liquefied natural gas exports; and a former aide’s claim that a top staffer was suspected of independently signing documents as Biden’s cognitive health declined—sparked the controversy that ultimately led the Trump administration to launch a formal investigation.
Mike Howell, president of the Oversight Project, told Blaze News, “There’s no question that Ed Martin is on the case. As both the pardon attorney and President Trump’s weaponization czar, he is uniquely positioned to answer the question everyone is asking, ‘Who was the president during the Biden years?’”
“We are thrilled that the president and Martin are taking up our autopen investigation with such zeal,” added Howell.
Meanwhile, House lawmakers on Thursday requested interviews with former President Joseph R. Biden’s physician and several top White House aides, as Republicans allege a cover-up of Biden’s cognitive decline and suggest that others may have signed official documents, including legislation and pardons, on his behalf.
The GOP-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee sent formal letters to former White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor and four senior aides from the Biden administration, demanding transcribed interviews. The requests come in response to new reports outlining the extent of Biden’s cognitive issues and his recent diagnosis of Stage IV prostate cancer, the Washington Times reported.
“The cover-up of President Biden’s obvious mental decline is a historic scandal. The American people deserve to know when this decline began, how far it progressed, and who was making critical decisions on his behalf,” said Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, Kentucky Republican.
Comer said the panel is weighing legislation “to address the oversight of presidents’ fitness to serve.”
