Donald Trump has claimed, without providing any evidence, that pardons issued by Joe Biden are &ldquo;void, vacant and of no further force and effect&rdquo; because they were signed using an autopen rather than personally by the president.
<h2>What happened?</h2>
On 20 January, Biden&rsquo;s final day in office, he issued pre-emptive pardons to family members and all members of the House committee that investigated the 6 January attack on Congress. The riot was incited by Trump as part of his attempt to overturn his 2020 election defeat. Trump has frequently threatened members of the committee with legal action or imprisonment.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/russia-ukraine-war-trumps-ukraine-peace-plan-isnt-about-peace-its-a-pr-stunt-8862762">Trump&rsquo;s Ukraine &lsquo;peace&rsquo; plan isn&rsquo;t about peace. It&rsquo;s a PR stunt</a>
Trump made his claim in a post on his social media platform, saying, &ldquo;The &lsquo;Pardons&rsquo; that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen. In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them!&rdquo;
He added that committee members should &ldquo;fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level.&rdquo;
<h2>Trump's autopen allegations</h2>
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday, Trump repeated his claim, saying, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not my decision &ndash; that&rsquo;ll be up to a court &ndash; but I would say that they&rsquo;re null and void, because I&rsquo;m sure Biden didn&rsquo;t have any idea that it was taking place, and somebody was using an autopen to sign off and to give pardons.&rdquo;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-trump-says-iran-will-be-held-responsible-for-houthi-strikes-warns-of-dire-consequences-8863104">Trump says Iran &lsquo;will be held responsible&rsquo; for Houthi strikes, warns of &lsquo;dire consequences&rsquo;</a>
He further claimed, again without proof, that committee members, including former Representative Liz Cheney, were &ldquo;probably responsible for the documents that were signed on their behalf&rdquo; without Biden&rsquo;s knowledge.
<h2>What is an autopen?</h2>
An autopen is a device used to create automatic or remote signatures and has been utilised by public figures for decades.
Former President Barack Obama faced scrutiny in 2011 for allowing an aide to use an autopen to extend the Patriot Act, marking the first time a president had authorised such a signature. In 2013, he also used an autopen while on holiday in Hawaii to sign a bill preventing a financial crisis.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/from-trump-airlines-to-trump-vodka-us-president-donald-trumps-biggest-business-flops-8862734">From Trump Airlines to Trump Vodka: US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s biggest business flops</a>
<h2>Are autopen signatures valid?</h2>
A 2005 legal opinion from the Justice Department&rsquo;s Office of Legal Counsel under President George W. Bush confirmed that a president may direct a subordinate to &ldquo;affix the President&rsquo;s signature&rdquo; to a document.
<h2>Did Biden use an autopen?</h2>
Biden has used an autopen in the past, but Trump has not provided any evidence that the pardons in question were signed without Biden&rsquo;s involvement.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/they-spied-they-lied-but-they-failed-trump-says-biden-turned-doj-into-department-of-injustice-8855032">'They Spied, They Lied, But They Failed': Trump says Biden turned DOJ into 'Department of Injustice'</a>
Trump&rsquo;s claims follow a report from the Heritage Foundation, a pro-Trump think tank, which suggested that &ldquo;whoever controlled the autopen controlled the presidency.&rdquo; However, Newsweek has reported that there is photographic evidence of Biden personally signing several documents that the Heritage Foundation claims were signed by an autopen.
<h2>Could Trump overturn the pardons in court?</h2>
Legal precedent suggests Trump&rsquo;s argument would not hold up in court. In 1929, the US Justice Department ruled that the president has full discretion over how a pardon is issued. More recently, a federal appeals court ruled that presidential pardons do not even need to be in writing.
<h2>Committee members respond</h2>
Bennie Thompson, the former chair of the January 6 committee, dismissed Trump&rsquo;s claim, telling Axios, &ldquo;I am not afraid of Trump&rsquo;s latest midnight rant that has no basis in reality.&rdquo;
Meanwhile, Adam Kinzinger posted on X, &ldquo;Please! You guys have been threatening this forever! Bring it on, it&rsquo;s getting boring waiting.&rdquo;
(With inputs from agencies)

World: On 20 January, Biden’s final day in office, he issued pre-emptive pardons to all members of the House committee that investigated the 6 January attack on Congress.

Donald Trump has claimed, without providing any evidence, that pardons issued by Joe Biden are “void, vacant and of no further force and effect” because they were signed using an autopen rather than personally by the president. What happened? On 20 January, Biden’s final day in office, he issued pre-emptive pardons to family members and all members of the House committee that investigated the 6 January attack on Congress. The riot was incited by Trump as part of his attempt to overturn his 2020 election defeat. Trump has frequently threatened members of the committee with legal action or imprisonment. Also read: Trump’s Ukraine ‘peace’ plan isn’t about peace. It’s a PR stunt Trump made his claim in a post on his social media platform, saying, “The ‘Pardons’ that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen. In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them!” He added that committee members should “fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level.” Trump's autopen allegations Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday, Trump repeated his claim, saying, “It’s not my decision – that’ll be up to a court – but I would say that they’re null and void, because I’m sure Biden didn’t have any idea that it was taking place, and somebody was using an autopen to sign off and to give pardons.” Also read: Trump says Iran ‘will be held responsible’ for Houthi strikes, warns of ‘dire consequences’ He further claimed, again without proof, that committee members, including former Representative Liz Cheney, were “probably responsible for the documents that were signed on their behalf” without Biden’s knowledge. What is an autopen? An autopen is a device used to create automatic or remote signatures and has been utilised by public figures for decades. Former President Barack Obama faced scrutiny in 2011 for allowing an aide to use an autopen to extend the Patriot Act, marking the first time a president had authorised such a signature. In 2013, he also used an autopen while on holiday in Hawaii to sign a bill preventing a financial crisis. Also read: From Trump Airlines to Trump Vodka: US President Donald Trump’s biggest business flops Are autopen signatures valid? A 2005 legal opinion from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel under President George W. Bush confirmed that a president may direct a subordinate to “affix the President’s signature” to a document. Did Biden use an autopen? Biden has used an autopen in the past, but Trump has not provided any evidence that the pardons in question were signed without Biden’s involvement. Also read: 'They Spied, They Lied, But They Failed': Trump says Biden turned DOJ into 'Department of Injustice' Trump’s claims follow a report from the Heritage Foundation, a pro-Trump think tank, which suggested that “whoever controlled the autopen controlled the presidency.” However, Newsweek has reported that there is photographic evidence of Biden personally signing several documents that the Heritage Foundation claims were signed by an autopen. Could Trump overturn the pardons in court? Legal precedent suggests Trump’s argument would not hold up in court. In 1929, the US Justice Department ruled that the president has full discretion over how a pardon is issued. More recently, a federal appeals court ruled that presidential pardons do not even need to be in writing. Committee members respond Bennie Thompson, the former chair of the January 6 committee, dismissed Trump’s claim, telling Axios, “I am not afraid of Trump’s latest midnight rant that has no basis in reality.” Meanwhile, Adam Kinzinger posted on X, “Please! You guys have been threatening this forever! Bring it on, it’s getting boring waiting.” (With inputs from agencies)

Trump claims Biden’s Jan. 6 panel pardons are ‘void’ over autopen use: Does he have a case?

Former US president Donald Trump has hit back after the Congressional panel report, released earlier this week, held him responsible for the January 6 Capitol Hill riots.

Former US president Donald Trump has hit back after the Congressional panel report, released earlier this week, held him responsible for the January 6 Capitol Hill riots. Taking to his social media platform Truth Social, Trump posted a video and said, "The unselect committee [sic] did not produce a single shred of evidence that I in any way intended or wanted violence at our Capitol." "The evidence does not exist because the claim is baseless and a monstrous lie," added Trump. The Republican leader who is having a tough time receiving support from his party men for the 2024 run said it wasn't an insurrection but a protest that got out of control. "The events of Jan. 6 were not an insurrection. They were a protest that got tragically out of control." He repeated that his government had urged for the deployment of 10,000 to 20,000 National Guard troops, a claim, categorically denied by the select committee. Read more: January 6 panel's final report sets out case to try Donald Trump Notably, the committee which published the report has called for Trump to never be allowed to hold office again. To substantiate the claims, the report cites at least 200 acts where Trump and his allies attempted to overturn the presidential election. “That evidence has led to an overriding and straight forward conclusion: the central cause of January 6th was one man, former President Donald Trump, whom many others followed. None of the events of January 6th would have happened without him." Watch | Capitol Hill Riots probe: No end to Trump's troubles; Jan 6 panel releases witness testimony × It adds that Trump did not attempt to pacify his supporters charging on Capitol Hill in time. His first tweet, asking the supporters to back down, came an hour after the chaotic events had started. At that point, Trump's tweet had little to no meaning as the majority had infiltrated the Capitol. The 800-page report was published after conducting 1,000-plus interviews and examination of a large number of documents, phone records, texts and more. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

‘Not a shred of evidence against me’: Donald Trump lashes out at Jan 6 panel over its report

The House select committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol released its final report, bringing end to a nearly 18-month investigation. The report recommends that former President Donald Trump be criminally prosecuted for his conduct surrounding the insurrection.

January 6 committee releases final report on its investigation of Capitol riot

The January 6th committee slammed former President Donald Trump on Monday as "unfit for any office" in her statement kicking off the panel's final public meeting. The panel also recommended that criminal charges be filed against Trump.

January 6 panel recommends criminal charges against Donald Trump

The Congress select committee probing the January 6 Capitol riot is considering to press criminal charges against former president Donald Trump and may hold a vote on the issue on Monday.&nbsp;According to the US media, the House of Representatives is working to indict Trump for obstruction of an proceedings of Congress and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

The decision to penalise Trump was taken on the recommendations of a special committee—the subcommittee examining referrals—after renewed evidence pointed out Trump’s attempts to impede the certification of President Joe Biden on January 6, 2021.

The nine-member committee is expected to vote and approve the recommendations and submit it to the Department of Justice, which is already probing Trump's role in the unrest.

The justice department, however, is not obligated to consider referrals from any congressional panel.

The committee will hold its final meeting on Monday when any recommendations of pressing the charges&nbsp;would be unveiled.

On Friday, Trump's spokesman, Steven Cheung, issued a statement reacting&nbsp;to the reports, saying, "The January 6th un-Select Committee held show trials by Never Trump partisans who are a stain on this country's history."

The chief of the select committee, Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, said the full report will be made public on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, California congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, another member of the panel, told CNN on Friday that the lawmakers have "been very careful in crafting these [charging] recommendations and tethering them to the facts that we've uncovered".

The panel believes that Trump incited Capitol riot in a last-ditch bid to remain in power.

It argues that Trump spread false claims about the 2020 presidential election being rigged, before pressuring state officials, the justice department and his own vice-president to help subvert his defeat.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The Congress select committee probing the January 6 Capitol riot is considering to press criminal charges against former president Donald Trump and may hold a vote on the issue on Monday.

The Congress select committee probing the January 6 Capitol riot is considering to press criminal charges against former president Donald Trump and may hold a vote on the issue on Monday. According to the US media, the House of Representatives is working to indict Trump for obstruction of an proceedings of Congress and conspiracy to defraud the United States. The decision to penalise Trump was taken on the recommendations of a special committee—the subcommittee examining referrals—after renewed evidence pointed out Trump’s attempts to impede the certification of President Joe Biden on January 6, 2021. The nine-member committee is expected to vote and approve the recommendations and submit it to the Department of Justice, which is already probing Trump's role in the unrest. The justice department, however, is not obligated to consider referrals from any congressional panel. The committee will hold its final meeting on Monday when any recommendations of pressing the charges would be unveiled. On Friday, Trump's spokesman, Steven Cheung, issued a statement reacting to the reports, saying, "The January 6th un-Select Committee held show trials by Never Trump partisans who are a stain on this country's history." The chief of the select committee, Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, said the full report will be made public on Wednesday. Meanwhile, California congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, another member of the panel, told CNN on Friday that the lawmakers have "been very careful in crafting these [charging] recommendations and tethering them to the facts that we've uncovered". The panel believes that Trump incited Capitol riot in a last-ditch bid to remain in power. It argues that Trump spread false claims about the 2020 presidential election being rigged, before pressuring state officials, the justice department and his own vice-president to help subvert his defeat. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Capitol riot: US House committee likely to press criminal charges against Donald Trump, says report

Former Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday he would consider testifying before the House January 6 committee if asked.

Former VP Mike Pence says he would 'consider' testifying before Jan 6 committee

The house of representatives select committee investigating the capital riot of January 6 last year is set to meet for its fourth public hearing, this time, the focus will be on unearthing evidence that Donald Trump was involved in a scheme to submit fake slates of electors in a last-ditch effort to block Joe Biden's 2020 election win.

House January 6 committee hearing will focus on Trump's fake electors plan

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