All credit to Cristina Laila at The Gateway Pundit who, as best I can tell, noticed what everyone else missed…
To be fair, most of us don’t read the New York Times, so I’m claiming that as my excuse but Cristina picked up on something huge: Joe Biden’s longtime personal attorney just resigned amid the growing auto-pen scandal, and he’s quickly hired a new lawyer for what’s about to hit:
NEW: Biden Lawyers Up After Longtime Personal Attorney Bob Bauer Quits Amid Autopen Scandal https://t.co/VD5G7Hpj87
— The Gateway Pundit (@gatewaypundit) July 14, 2025
Here’s the exact quote from the NY Times article:
Mr. Biden himself has hired a new personal lawyer, Amy Jeffress of Hecker Fink. He had been without one since he and his former personal lawyer, Bob Bauer, quietly parted ways months earlier, according to people familiar with the matter. Ms. Jeffress and Mr. Bauer declined to comment.
Mr. Bauer’s relationship with Mr. Biden significantly cooled over the last year of his presidency, in part because of an extended clash with Mr. Biden’s son Hunter and his defense team over the political risks to the president created by aggressive public relations tactics they used in defending against congressional inquiries.
Mr. Biden granted Hunter Biden a full pardon in December 2024. It was the only clemency warrant in that period that Mr. Biden signed with his own hand.
Did you know there was only ONE Pardon Joe Biden personally signed by hand?
Any guesses as to who?
Hunter Biden, of course.
Here’s more from The Gateway Pundit in an excellent report:
Joe Biden hired a new lawyer after his longtime personal attorney Bob Bauer quit amid the growing autopen scandal.
Joe Biden defended the use of an autopen in an interview with the New York Times.
ADVERTISEMENTThe New York Times also reviewed some of the emails that the National Archives handed over to the Trump DOJ as part of their investigation into the autopen scandal.
It was revealed that Joe Biden did not approve of each name for the pardons – AND after changes were made about the specific inmates, Biden did NOT sign off on the revised list. Rather, his aides just ran the final version through the autopen without Biden’s approval.
“Mr. Biden did not individually approve each name for the categorical pardons that applied to large numbers of people, he and aides confirmed. Rather, after extensive discussion of different possible criteria, he signed off on the standards he wanted to be used to determine which convicts would qualify for a reduction in sentence,” The New York Times reported.
Buried at the bottom of The New York Times article it was revealed that Joe Biden hired a new personal lawyer, Amy Jeffress of Hecker Fink after Bob Bauer parted ways.
The Times reported that Bob Bauer quit after “an extended clash” with Hunter Biden’s defense team over the nonstop scandals Hunter was embroiled in during Biden’s presidency.
Here’s a summary of everything else we learned in that NY Times article that you almost certainly didn’t read:
Biden personally approved all clemency decisions, clarifying in an interview that he orally reviewed and directed each pardon and commutation—despite using an autopen to sign due to the sheer volume of documents.
Autopen use is legal and common, and Biden noted former presidents—including Trump—used it too; DOJ guidance from 2005 supports its lawful application for presidential documents.
ADVERTISEMENTMore than 4,000 pardons and commutations were issued, including to nonviolent offenders, individuals in home confinement, and 37 death-row inmates, prompting autopen use for practical reasons.
Trump and Republicans challenged Biden’s actions, claiming the autopen made them invalid and questioned Biden’s mental capacity—some alleged he was unaware of the decisions.
Legal experts and fact-checkers reject Trump’s voiding claims, pointing out the Constitution doesn’t require personal signatures for pardons and such pardons are irrevocable once issued.
Ongoing investigations include a DOJ inquiry ordered by Trump’s White House counsel into autopen usage and Biden’s cognition, as well as a GOP-led House Oversight probe; Biden’s physician invoked the Fifth during recent testimony.
Biden’s legal team stance: he acknowledges using autopen but insists he controlled strategy and personally communicated his decisions; his lawyers have defended the legality and intent behind each case.
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