Former President Joe Biden defended his use of the autopen in a recent interview, prompting further criticism. 

Biden confirmed to the New York Times that he authorized the autopen. He claimed he used the autopen, a machine that allows anyone to duplicate the signature of the commander in chief onto a document, due to the large number of clemencies he granted. The former president set a record in presidential pardons, commutations, and clemencies for over 4,200 people.

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In a statement released to the Washington Examiner, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said: “New reporting confirms Biden White House staff took executive action without the President’s approval. The House Oversight Committee will continue pursuing answers about this historic scandal to prevent such an abuse from happening again.”

These sweeping pardons included commuting the death sentences for 37 federal inmates. Others were pardoned preemptively, including the Jan. 6 Committee members, Gen. Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Biden’s siblings, their spouses, and Biden’s son, Hunter.

According to Biden, using the autopen is “legal,” as other presidents have done, including President Donald Trump. However, Biden’s admission to using the autopen stirred up the investigation into his clemencies.

“@GOPoversight will continue pursuing answers about this historic scandal to prevent such an abuse from happening again,” Comer wrote on X Monday.

“Who was really in charge for the past four years?” Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) responded to Comer’s post.

“Joe Biden’s autopen pardons are illegitimate and must be revoked,” Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) wrote.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey commented on the news as two of the federal inmates who avoided the death penalty were originally sentenced in his state. 

“In March, I questioned the legal honesty of Biden’s clemency given his cognitive decline,” Bailey wrote. “Now, by his own admission, his pardons have no legal validity.”

However, there were still Democratic allies who defended Biden’s decision to opt for the autopen.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) took to CNN News Central Monday to confirm that he’d read the article but interpreted it differently than his Republican colleagues in the House.

“My understanding is that President Biden did look at these pardons, whether or not they came in classes of pardons — like these are people being pardoned because they had mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug offenses and he didn’t think that that was appropriate, that they’d served their time well — as opposed to each individual one,” Van Hollen said. “I will have to take a look at that entire issue.”

HOUSE OVERSIGHT INVESTIGATION INTO BIDEN AUTOPEN USE PLOWS AHEAD WITH MORE WITNESSES

Comer suggested he might subpoena Biden, former first lady Jill Biden, and former chief of staff Ron Klain as part of the investigation after the committee hears from Biden’s former aides. So far, nine aides have provided testimonies.

Biden referred to this investigation as “crazy” and claimed all Republican lawmakers who were questioning his cognitive decline were “liars.”