Democratic figure Joe Biden is once again at the center of a political storm, with watchdog groups and lawmakers raising pressing questions about his involvement in major climate-related decisions during his presidency. Energy expert Daniel Turner and his nonprofit, Power the Future, have released a new report that has both sides of the aisle talking.

According to Breitbart, Turner’s group claims there is “no evidence” Biden was aware of at least eight sweeping executive actions on climate and energy policy that were allegedly signed using an autopen device rather than by Biden himself. The report has sparked fierce debate about the legitimacy of the orders and who was truly calling the shots in the White House.

The controversy deepened after the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project reviewed documents signed by Biden, finding nearly all bore an identical autopen signature—except the one withdrawing his reelection campaign. The implication: an inner circle may have been enacting transformative policies without Biden’s direct knowledge or input, potentially undermining democratic accountability.

Watchdog demands answers

Power the Future’s review focused on eight executive actions that fundamentally altered American energy policy. These included bans on Arctic and offshore drilling, orders to support AI data centers powered by “clean energy,” and sweeping mandates for net-zero emissions across the federal government by 2050. Turner’s group found no record of Biden ever discussing these actions in public—no speeches, press conferences, or even video statements.

The group’s concerns are not without precedent. The use of autopen, a mechanical device that can replicate a person’s signature, is legal in certain government contexts but rarely used for actions of such magnitude. Critics argue that, at best, it signals presidential disengagement; at worst, it may indicate a shadow administration making decisions without the elected leader’s knowledge.

Turner told Fox News that these were not “obscure bureaucratic memos” but foundational shifts that should have warranted direct presidential involvement. The energy watchdog has now sent letters to the Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, and Department of Energy, urging investigations into the authorization and awareness behind these executive actions.

Congressional scrutiny intensifies

Republican lawmakers have seized on the findings, with House Oversight Chair James Comer receiving a letter from Power the Future demanding a thorough inquiry. The letter explicitly questioned whether Biden ever approved or was even aware of the orders issued in his name, calling for Congress to investigate all parties responsible for drafting, instructing, and implementing the executive actions.

The watchdog’s letter referenced claims from Speaker Mike Johnson, who recently suggested Biden appeared unaware that he had signed an order pausing liquified natural gas exports in early 2024. This narrative has fueled suspicions among conservatives that a select group of advisers may have been steering policy behind the scenes, using Biden’s name and authority without his active participation.

In addition, the letter highlighted revelations from the book “Original Sin” by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, which details efforts by Biden’s inner circle to obscure his declining mental health during his presidency. Power the Future argued these accounts reinforce the need for full transparency and oversight regarding who was responsible for critical policy decisions.

Critics and defenders weigh in

Not all parties agree with the alarm sounded by Turner and his allies. Some Democrats and Biden supporters dismiss the report as partisan theater, arguing that the use of autopen is not inherently suspicious and that executive actions routinely reflect the consensus of the administration’s policy team, not just the president’s personal involvement.

Supporters of the former president contend that the focus on autopen signatures is a distraction from the substance of the policies themselves, which they argue were necessary and popular responses to climate change and energy challenges. They point to the fact that modern presidents oversee vast bureaucracies and cannot personally direct every decision.

Critics, particularly on the right, counter that the scale and secrecy of these actions, coupled with the lack of public comment from Biden, make this case exceptional. They argue the American people deserve to know who is truly making decisions that impact the nation’s energy sector, jobs, and global standing.

Calls for investigation grow

Turner, in his Fox News interview, did not mince words about the gravity of the situation. “This autopen scandal is evidence that these green EOs are invalid, and the instigators should be thoroughly investigated by the DOJ for violating the trust of the American people and perpetuating a great fraud on the nation,” Turner said.

The watchdog’s campaign has been joined by other conservative voices who call the alleged use of autopen for such far-reaching decisions a “great fraud” on the American public. Turner argues that hundreds of billions of dollars were funneled toward green energy projects while the domestic fossil fuel industry was “punished,” all without clear evidence these policies were ever ordered or approved by Biden himself.

What happens next is likely to be determined by the outcome of ongoing and future congressional and federal investigations. Lawmakers in both the House and Senate Oversight Committees are now under pressure to get to the bottom of who authorized the measures and whether Biden was properly informed, as demanded by Turner’s group.