A prominent Democrat has stepped forward with claims tied to the emerging scandal surrounding the alleged misuse of the presidential autopen during the final stretch of the Biden administration. Ed Martin -- currently serving as the Department of Justice's pardon attorney and heading a special task force focused on governmental overreach -- has publicly identified three key figures involved in the matter: Anita Dunn, Bob Bauer, and Ron Klain.
According to Martin, while it is legally permissible for a president to delegate signature authority to an autopen, this only holds weight if the president is mentally competent at the time the action is taken. He noted widespread concerns over President Biden's mental acuity, citing media reports and insider claims of efforts to downplay signs of cognitive decline. Speculation has also swirled around opaque details regarding Biden's health, including issues related to a prostate cancer diagnosis.
Despite the murky circumstances, Martin appears determined to get to the truth. He has the backing of multiple watchdog groups who see his investigation as credible and necessary. As The Blaze reports:
"Ed Martin, the incoming Department of Justice pardon attorney and director of the DOJ's Weaponization Working Group, announced last week that he was looking into the questionable 'autopen' pardons issued in the final days of the Biden White House. It turns out, however, that he began digging into the matter while still the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia."
Martin disclosed this week that his investigation into the use of the autopen has actually been underway for weeks; that he has reached out to members of the Biden family; that some persons of interest have "lawyered up"; and that a whistleblower has already come forward with some troubling 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 indicated that the whistleblower was involved with the 2020 Biden campaign at the highest levels.
The DOJ's pardon attorney subsequently threw two more names into the mix -- Steve Ricchetti, former counselor to Biden who previously served as chairman of his 2020 presidential campaign, and "obviously Jill [Biden]."