Washington, D.C. – Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) sent shockwaves through Capitol Hill on May 20, 2025, by alleging that staffers in former President Joe Biden’s administration accepted “massive payoffs” to use an autopen to issue pardons during his final days in office. Speaking on “The Benny Johnson Show,” Burchett claimed staffers, possibly earning modest salaries, were offered up to “a quarter of a mil” to facilitate a “cash for clemency” scheme, drawing comparisons to the 1970s scandal involving Tennessee Governor Ray Blanton. The explosive accusation, amplified by posts on X, has sparked calls for a federal investigation, raising questions about the depth of alleged corruption in Biden’s White House.
Burchett’s remarks focus on Biden’s controversial December 2024 pardons, which included his son Hunter Biden—despite Biden’s earlier pledge not to pardon him—and a historic single-day grant of clemency to 1,500 individuals, including former Rep. Liz Cheney and January 6 committee members. The congressman suggested that Biden’s use of an autopen—a device that mechanically reproduces signatures—enabled staffers to issue pardons without his direct oversight, exploiting his alleged cognitive decline. “You’re gonna find staffers that took forms, ran them through some bogus legal system, then auto-penned them,” Burchett said, per The Gateway Pundit. He speculated that “someone got rich,” citing historical precedent with Blanton’s pardon-selling scheme.
The allegations have ignited conservative outrage. X posts from users like
@GuntherEagleman and
@BenKaxton labeled the scheme “treasonous,” demanding prison time for those involved. President Trump fueled the fire, claiming in March that Biden’s autopen-signed pardons, particularly for January 6 committee members, were “void” and that staffers controlling the autopen committed treason. However, legal experts, like Boston University’s Jay Wexler, dismiss the idea that autopen signatures invalidate pardons, noting the Constitution requires only acceptance by the recipient, not a handwritten signature.
Skeptics caution that Burchett’s claims lack direct evidence. “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence,” noted a Defiant America report, calling the allegations “very unusual coincidences” until proven. Burchett admitted, “I have no direct proof,” relying on historical patterns and Biden’s health concerns. Democrats, including Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), called the accusations a “distraction” from Trump’s own pardon controversies, like his January 2025 clemency for 1,500 January 6 defendants. The Biden administration has not responded, but former aide Ron Klain dismissed similar claims as “baseless” in April.
The House Oversight Committee, where Burchett serves, is poised to investigate, with Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) signaling interest in subpoenaing records. The probe could focus on Steve Ricchetti, Biden’s former counselor, who oversaw clemency processes. If true, the scandal could implicate high-level aides, but legal hurdles remain—pardons, once granted, are nearly impossible to reverse, per AP News.
As calls for accountability grow, the nation grapples with whether Burchett’s allegations reveal systemic corruption or are a partisan attack. The depth of this potential scandal remains uncertain, but its political fallout is already profound.
