GOP Chair Accused of Using Electronic Signature to Sign Biden Autopen Docs

House Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ky., has built an investigation around the idea that President Joe Biden isn’t calling the shots—pointing to the president’s use of an autopen to sign official documents. But Comer himself? He’s been doing something very similar.

Despite pushing a high-profile probe into Biden’s mental fitness and decision-making authority, Comer has quietly used his own digital signature to send letters and subpoenas in connection with the investigation—letters he didn’t even write himself.

NBC News obtained metadata from 16 of Comer’s official requests to Biden officials. Not only were they all signed with a digital image of Comer’s signature, but the documents were also created by a staffer named Mitchell Benzine. The signature file? A simple image copy pasted into the letters—not a hand-signed document.

So, what gives?

“James Comer using a digital signature to investigate Biden’s use of an autopen is the political equivalent of yelling about a fire while holding the match,” said one Democratic staffer, speaking anonymously.

Pot, Meet Kettle

President Trump and his allies have seized on Biden’s use of an autopen to allege the 81-year-old commander-in-chief isn’t in control of his office. Trump even called it “one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history.” But Comer’s use of a digital signature—while legally routine in Congress—isn’t sitting well with critics who say he’s throwing stones from a glass house.

“Subpoenas must be signed by me, by hand. I’ve had to fly back to D.C. just to do it,” Comer told Newsmax earlier this month. “No one uses an autopen for legal documents.”

Except… Comer’s committee released photos of subpoenas with what appears to be his wet signature—but not the actual subpoena documents. Only the accompanying letters were made public—and yes, those were signed with the digital image.

A spokeswoman for the Oversight Committee defended Comer’s actions, saying, “Digital signatures are a normal part of Congressional operations. Chairman Comer approves all documents signed digitally. Subpoenas, however, are always signed by hand.”

But critics say the distinction is murky and Comer’s outrage is performative.

“Comer investigating an autopen with a digital signature is just… chef’s kiss. You can’t make this stuff up,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., quipped.

Common Practice or Political Theater?

Congress and the White House have long relied on printed or digital signatures for nonbinding communications due to sheer volume. Even congressional staffers sometimes scribble members’ names by hand to mimic signatures.

“It’s not sustainable to hand-sign every single letter,” said Brendan Buck, who served as communications director under two GOP House speakers. “This is the sausage-making of Washington.”

The practice is widespread—both Democrats and Republicans do it. Even during the January 6 investigation, many committee letters were signed digitally. But Comer and Trump’s MAGA allies argue the real concern is over who knows what when a signature is applied.

The theory? That Biden’s staff may have signed executive actions without the president knowing the full scope of what he was approving.

“We’re trying to figure out if decisions were made and signed off without Biden being properly briefed,” a source close to the Oversight Committee told NBC News. “That’s the concern—not the autopen itself.”

Biden Fires Back

Biden has dismissed the investigation as “ridiculous and false,” saying that he was fully involved in decisions—autopen or not.

“I made every decision,” Biden told The New York Times last week. “We’re talking about a whole lot of people. It’s about efficiency, not abdication.”

A White House official echoed that sentiment more bluntly: “The American people care more about Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein than they do about a pen that everyone in Washington uses—including Comer.”

Legal Experts Shrug

Legally, there’s little controversy. A 2005 Justice Department memo backed the use of autopens by presidents. In 2024, a federal appeals court reaffirmed that a lack of a “wet signature” doesn’t invalidate a presidential action like a pardon.

But for now, Comer’s investigation rages on—despite critics hammering him for hypocrisy.