By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Following a “technical error,” the Justice Department replaced online pardons bearing identical copies of President Trump’s signature. The original pardons, including those for Darryl Strawberry and Glen Casada, were found to have strikingly similar signatures, confirmed by forensic document experts. The Justice Department attributed the error to staffing and technical issues, despite Trump’s history of mocking his predecessor’s use of an autopen and criticism of the practice. Legal experts maintain that the validity of the pardons is not affected.
Read the original article here
Justice Department quietly replaced ‘identical’ Trump signatures on recent pardons. Well, this is a story that just keeps getting stranger, doesn’t it? It seems the Justice Department, or at least someone within it, has been quietly swapping out signatures on pardons issued by the former President. The initial explanation? A “technical error” due to “staffing issues caused by the Democrat shutdown.” Right. Because blaming the other side is always the first move in this particular playbook. But let’s unpack this a bit, shall we? It seems that rather than having Trump’s actual, hand-signed signatures on these documents, there were instances where identical, likely autopen-generated signatures were used.
Now, you might be thinking, “What’s the big deal? Presidents use autopens all the time.” And you’d be right. It’s a practical tool for handling the sheer volume of paperwork that crosses the desk of the leader of the free world. The issue here, though, isn’t just the autopen itself. It’s the context and, let’s be honest, the hypocrisy surrounding it. Remember when Trump himself took to ranting about the validity of pardons signed by autopen? Remember when he went on and on about how he would undo things signed by autopen? Well, now it appears that someone in the Justice Department has decided to rectify the situation by replacing these autopen signatures with what they claim are the genuine articles.
And here’s where the plot thickens. Why the switch? If it was truly just a matter of convenience, why the need to replace anything? Why go to the extra effort to swap out signatures, unless there was something to hide? The cynic in me, and perhaps in many of us, starts to wonder if this was all about optics. If the goal was to avoid the appearance of hypocrisy, as the former President was quick to criticize others for the same. To pretend that this wasn’t an autopen signing situation. But then, the Justice Department’s own statement, while attempting to explain the situation, does a rather poor job. How can a “technical error” result in the same signature being used repeatedly? And how do staffing issues translate to one signature being used? That makes it sound less like an accidental slip-up and more like a deliberate choice.
The fact that this happened at all raises some pretty fundamental questions about accountability. If signatures can be altered after the fact, what does a signature even mean? It’s like the equivalent of a rubber stamp with a little extra flair of having to get the actual pen out. Is there any meaning? Can they just change it to Daffy Duck? It brings into question the validity of the pardons themselves. If they were signed by an autopen, or if the original signature was replaced, could that render them legally questionable? And as a result it raises concerns about potential abuses of power. The very essence of the thing. If someone in the inner circle is using the lack of oversight to pardon people they like or those who paid to have the signature on the dotted line.
Furthermore, let’s consider the timing. This whole revelation comes on the heels of the former President’s public critique of the autopen. It’s almost too perfect, isn’t it? It’s like the classic case of “every accusation is a confession.” The very thing he was complaining about – the autopen – seems to be exactly what was going on. It all comes back to the former President’s tendency for projection. Everything he accuses others of doing is often exactly what he’s doing himself, and likely on a grander scale. It’s like the saying “when you point a finger there are three pointing back at you.”
Then there’s the question of motivation. Why replace the signatures? If it was to appease critics, why not just own the autopen use? Why the secrecy? Was it to hide the fact that he didn’t personally sign those documents? It’s a very simple and direct matter of “did he actually sign these, or did he not?” If he didn’t sign them, then that’s a problem. Some even suggest that there’s a pattern, with the former President not even knowing the individuals he was pardoning. It raises the possibility of corruption, the type that undermines the entire system. It makes you wonder how many signatures were impacted, including those related to the January 6th pardons. Were those autopen-signed too?
The revelations surrounding this situation are far from over. This could be fraud. This could be forgery. It’s a reminder of the need for scrutiny and accountability. The fact that the Justice Department itself has, in essence, admitted to tampering with an official document, raises serious questions. It also highlights the importance of the media in uncovering and reporting on such matters. And also reminds us of how, time and again, it is important to check the work of those in power. Because they are the ultimate check on all the things that matter.