A top aide to former President Joe Biden told the House Oversight Committee on Thursday that another staffer using his email credentials had approved some of the most controversial “autopen” pardons.
Jeff Zients also testified that first son Hunter Biden, who received a pardon himself, participated in pardon discussions, while also describing the former president’s mental state in unflattering terms.
According to Axios, Zients — one of the highest-ranking officials in the Biden White House — confirmed that Joe Biden often struggled to recall dates and names and frequently needed additional briefings before making decisions in the final years of his presidency.
Rather than holding three meetings before reaching a decision, Biden preferred to have four. Zients mentioned that Biden has long struggled with remembering names and dates, but he admitted to investigators that the president’s memory of these details worsened in the final years of his term.
Jill Biden privately discussed “managing Joe” with Jeff Zients as he prepared to step into the role of chief of staff in early 2023, urging him to adjust the president’s schedule to allow more rest and ensure he returned to the White House residence earlier in the evening.
Deputy Chief of Staff Annie Tomasini also advised Zients on scaling back Biden’s workload, including limiting travel distances and minimizing the use of stairs.
According to Fox News, Zients “admitted that President Biden’s speech stumbles increased as he aged,” adding “He also noted that the president’s difficulty remembering dates and names worsened over time, including during the administration.”
Zients told investigators that Hunter Biden participated in discussions about presidential pardons near the end of Joe Biden’s term, including blanket pardons issued to several members of the Biden family during the president’s final 24 hours in office.
NBC News had previously reported that Hunter was present for White House meetings after Joe Biden’s widely criticized performance in a June 2024 debate against Donald Trump.
Hunter Biden received a “full and unconditional” pardon – one of the few the president actually signed himself – for his crimes in early December, less than two months before Joe left office.
On Jan. 17, just days before his presidency ended, Biden approved nearly 2,500 commutations — part of more than 4,200 granted during his term. Both figures marked records, including the highest number ever issued in a single day by a U.S. president.
Zients also said that he did not personally send the email authorizing the use of the autopen, and that instead “he had an aide with access to his email account send the authorization on his behalf for some of the most controversial pardons in recent history.”
The interview was part of an investigation led by House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) regarding President Biden’s use of the autopen and whether his top aides concealed his mental decline in connection with its use.
Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre appeared before the House Oversight Committee a week ago for a high-profile interview on whether senior aides sought to conceal signs of mental decline in Biden.
Now an Independent after leaving the Democratic Party, she did not speak to reporters before entering the closed-door, transcribed interview.
“We intentionally wanted Jean-Pierre to be one of the last people we bring in,” Comer told reporters on his way to the deposition. He added that investigators were especially interested in the contents of her new book, “Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines.”
“This is a serious investigation about the legality of the use of the autopen, the excessive use of the autopen, and whether or not Joe Biden had any idea who was using the autopen and what the autopen was used to sign, with respect to legal documents,” Comer said.