Former president Joe Biden and his wife Jill are back in the political spotlight, but not for the reasons anyone expected. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is rattling cages in Washington, hinting that both Bidens—and top former White House staff—might soon face subpoenas. The intrigue is thick, and the stakes are sky-high as lawmakers dig into the controversial use of the presidential autopen.

According to the Washington Examiner, Comer is considering summoning Joe and Jill Biden, along with former chief of staff Ron Klain, as part of a Republican-led investigation. At the heart of the probe: who authorized the use of a machine to sign official documents as Biden’s mental fitness drew headlines during his final days in office.

Comer’s move comes as five former Biden aides already face subpoena threats for allegedly stonewalling the committee’s investigation. The autopen—a device capable of duplicating the president's signature—has sparked questions about who truly wielded power in the West Wing as Biden set a record for pardons and commutations.

Spotlight on White House power struggle

The autopen controversy has given Republicans a new line of attack against Joe Biden’s legacy, raising doubts about his mental acuity and decision-making during his presidency. Comer made his intentions clear during appearances on Fox News and Fox Business, insisting the investigation is following the facts wherever they lead—even if that means hauling the Bidens before Congress.

“In light of the Hur report and the tapes that were released, and what a cognitive mess Joe was, would it even be worthwhile to bring him in?” Fox News host Sean Hannity asked Comer, pointedly questioning whether Biden was even capable of authorizing the use of the autopen.

Comer responded that the committee would start with lower-level staff and “see who was giving the directive to sign these.” But he left the door wide open for bigger names, saying, “If everyone says it was Joe Biden, then I’m certainly open to bringing him in.” He continued, “It’s harder to bring in a former president. The Democrats tried to bring Donald Trump into some things… But at any rate, wherever the trail leads is where we’re going to bring them in.”

Jill Biden and Klain under scrutiny

For many conservatives, the possibility that Jill Biden and former chief of staff Ron Klain may have played outsized roles behind the scenes is a key focus. Comer has repeatedly stated that if evidence points to the first lady or Klain making crucial decisions, they too could face the committee’s subpoenas.

During a Thursday morning interview on Fox News’s “Faulkner Focus,” Comer emphasized that investigators are starting at the bottom of the staff hierarchy to determine the full chain of command. He questioned whether junior staffers would take the fall to shield higher-ups like Jill Biden and Klain, implying that the real power may have resided outside the Oval Office.

Comer said, “Let’s start with the bottom, and let’s see what the decision-making process was. Are the people at the bottom going to go down on the ship to protect the higher-level people, the Klains and Jill Bidens and those people that most of us believe were actually calling shots?”

Pardons, autopen, and abuse allegations

Central to the investigation are Biden’s record-breaking pardons and commutations—over 4,200 in total—issued during his final days in office. Critics argue that the sheer volume and timing raise serious questions about oversight and the use of the autopen.

On Fox Business’s “Varney & Co.,” Comer suggested the autopen may have been “abused,” fueling speculation that Biden himself was not making important executive decisions during a crucial period. Comer stated, “There is more evidence coming out by the second that would prove that Joe Biden wasn’t the one making decisions during the last 100 days of his administration.”

Some Republicans have gone further, with allegations that figures like Sen. Elizabeth Warren even influenced which orders were signed, including critical decisions on crypto regulations. The committee’s probe is expected to dig deeper into who benefited from these last-minute executive actions.

Democrats push back on GOP probe

Democrats have dismissed the investigation as a partisan stunt, arguing that the use of the autopen is neither new nor unique to Biden’s administration. They contend that previous presidents have relied on similar tools for efficiency and that the focus on Biden’s mental acuity is a political smear campaign.

Supporters of the Bidens argue there is no evidence of wrongdoing, insisting the president was fully briefed and in command of all decisions—even if the autopen was used for convenience. They accuse House Republicans of weaponizing the Oversight Committee to score political points ahead of the next election.

House Democrats have pointed out that the committee’s focus on the Bidens stands in stark contrast to their reluctance to pursue similar lines of inquiry into President Trump’s White House operations, calling the investigation “selective outrage” rather than a legitimate search for truth.