Overview
- At a rally in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, Trump said he had "heard" Biden’s four Federal Reserve commissions may have been signed by autopen and asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to verify the signings.
- He suggested he could try to oust governors if autopen was used, while the Federal Reserve declined to comment on the allegation.
- A 2005 Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel opinion states a president may legally sign by directing another to affix his signature, and autopens have been used for decades.
- Legal analysts say any move to invalidate the appointments would almost certainly prompt court challenges.
- Those potentially implicated include Jerome Powell, Philip Jefferson, Michael Barr and Lisa Cook, and Trump has signaled plans to reshape the board as Powell’s term ends in May.