Overview

• Andrew Bates appeared voluntarily for a closed-door, transcribed interview and said in prepared remarks that it was universally understood Joe Biden was in charge.
• He used his statement to criticize the GOP-led inquiry and President Trump’s actions, arguing lawmakers are wasting taxpayer money.
• Oversight Committee Republicans denounced Bates’s remarks and claim new records suggest Biden neither approved nor may have been consulted on thousands of pardons.
• The probe focuses on reported autopen authorization of clemency for more than 2,500 inmates, with the New York Times describing criteria-based approvals rather than individual signings.
• Documents cited by the conservative Oversight Project include DOJ emails warning that vague clemency language could mislead the public and risk releasing violent felons, as Chair James Comer continues interviews ahead of a planned report.