Senator Schmitt Calls for Autopen Records Amid Tanden Testimony
In a dramatic turn of events on Thursday evening, GOP Senator Eric Schmitt from Missouri has officially requested access to the sealed records of President Biden’s autopen usage. This comes on the heels of former Biden official Neera Tanden’s testimony, where she confessed to managing the autopen for over a year and a half.
During a closed-door session with the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday, Tanden, who previously served as the Director of the Domestic Policy Council, admitted under oath her role in controlling the autopen, which she was authorized to use from October 2021 to May 2023. This revelation has raised eyebrows, particularly as House Oversight Chairman James Comer has implicated five aides in what he describes as a cover-up concerning Biden’s mental fitness and the autopen scandal.
As reported by the Washington Examiner, Tanden clarified that while she was authorized to utilize the autopen, she denied any allegations of manipulation or misconduct. However, she did admit that she would sometimes use the autopen without direct confirmation from Biden.
Earlier this year, the Oversight Project unveiled that six individuals received pardons via Biden’s autopen on December 30, 2022, while he was reportedly enjoying a vacation and playing golf in St. Croix. Tanden’s testimony suggests that she may have been involved in these autopen pardons during Biden’s leisure time in the Virgin Islands.
You were White House Staff Secretary when Biden autopenned pardons from the golf course in USVI.
This you? https://t.co/26z9C6cE7m pic.twitter.com/7btD2RTX0N
— Oversight Project (@ItsYourGov) March 17, 2025
When pressed about the potential cover-up regarding Biden’s health decline, Tanden firmly stated, “absolutely not.”
WATCH:
Ex-Biden aide Neera Tanden tells Oversight Committee she was authorized to use autopen
DETAILS: https://t.co/x1mGAvecPi pic.twitter.com/7ejUlqc6uv
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) June 24, 2025
Senator Schmitt’s demand for access to the autopen records is characterized as a significant step towards transparency. “It may blow this whole thing open,” Schmitt remarked, emphasizing the importance of understanding the implications of the autopen’s use.
I just took a first-of-its-kind act on the Biden autopen coverup.
Using my authority as Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, I have submitted a “special access request” to Archivist Marco Rubio to obtain sealed documents.
It may blow this whole thing open. pic.twitter.com/YITBiyC4sH
— Senator Eric Schmitt (@SenEricSchmitt) June 26, 2025
In a statement, Schmitt expressed, “The Biden mental decline coverup was one of the most damning scandals in U.S. history. My priority is to ensure that nothing like this happens again. To do that, we need to uncover what went awry and who was truly at the helm.” He noted that this situation transcends even Watergate in terms of its potential ramifications.
I previewed this action this morning. The Biden mental decline coverup was one of the most damning scandals in U.S. history.
A key priority of mine is to make sure that something like this will never happen again. The only way to do that is to figure out what went wrong and who… pic.twitter.com/9ZWrhnoLR2
— Senator Eric Schmitt (@SenEricSchmitt) June 26, 2025
Schmitt elaborated that his “special access request” is a provision of the Presidential Records Act, which grants Congressional subcommittees the authority to obtain presidential records essential for their functions, even if such records are not publicly accessible.
The “special access request” is a provision of the Presidential Records Act that authorizes a congressional subcommittee to obtain past presidential records necessary for the conduct of its business, even if those records are not yet available to the general public. pic.twitter.com/V2bkx0wXMN
— Senator Eric Schmitt (@SenEricSchmitt) June 26, 2025
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Schmitt stated, “Given Biden’s profound mental decline, there are serious questions about the legitimacy of orders signed by autopen in his name.”
He further emphasized the necessity for access to documents related to autopen procedures, the pardons issued during Biden’s final months, his declaration regarding the Equal Rights Amendment, and any discussions surrounding the 25th Amendment.
I have also requested Biden White House documents about specific uses of the autopen, as well as about pardons made in the final months of his term, Biden’s “Equal Rights Amendment” declaration, and any discussion of the 25th amendment.
— Senator Eric Schmitt (@SenEricSchmitt) June 26, 2025
Concluding his statements, he declared, “We can never again allow our country to be run by nameless, faceless staffers. We can never again question who is running the country or if the acts of our President are legitimate. We can never again be ruled by the autopen.”
We can never again allow our country to be run by nameless, faceless staffers. We can never again question who is running the country or if the acts of our President are legitimate. We can never again be ruled by the autopen.https://t.co/WAVTRcOx97
— Senator Eric Schmitt (@SenEricSchmitt) June 26, 2025
