the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Washington, D.C. — Explosive internal Department of Justice emails obtained by the Oversight Project reveal that top Biden administration officials knew the mass autopenned commutations issued on January 17, 2025, were legally flawed—yet moved forward anyway.
The revelations provide the strongest written evidence yet that the administration not only sidestepped legal protocols but also misled the nation about the nature of many recipients, who were publicly described as “non-violent drug offenders.”
DOJ Warnings Ignored
The emails show former Associate Deputy Attorney General Bradley Weinsheimer, a 34-year DOJ veteran, raising red flags about both the legality of the autopenned warrants and the violent criminal backgrounds of multiple inmates granted clemency.
“You should stop saying that because it is untrue or at least misleading,” Weinsheimer warned, referring to the White House’s claim that recipients were only non-violent offenders.
Despite his objections, 16 out of 19 flagged inmates with violent histories were released under the January commutations. Among them were convicted murderers, gang leaders, and violent drug traffickers.
Misleading Public Narrative
A Jan. 17 statement attributed to President Biden described the clemency recipients as “felons convicted of non-violent drug offenses.”
But DOJ records reveal some were linked to murders, kidnappings, and deadly drug conspiracies, including:
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Terrence Richardson & Ferrone Claiborne – drug traffickers tied to a police officer’s death
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Russell McIntosh – convicted in the shooting death of a woman and her 2-year-old child
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Adrian Peeler – conspirator in the killing of an 8-year-old witness and his mother
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Plaze Anderson – Gangster Disciples leader involved in multiple murders and kidnappings
Legal Chaos Over Warrant Language
The emails also expose confusion over the legality of Warrant 2, which vaguely granted clemency for “offenses described to the Department of Justice.”
Weinsheimer warned colleagues:
“Because no offenses have been described to the Department from the President, the commutations do not take effect.”
This raised the possibility that none of the autopenned pardons were legally binding.
Oversight Project Response
Mike Howell, president of the Oversight Project, said the emails are the first “black and white evidence” of disagreement inside Biden’s DOJ over the clemency strategy.
“It’s time for legal action based on autopen,” Howell declared, adding that violent offenders who walked free should be rearrested immediately.
Former President Trump has already declared the autopenned pardons null and void, and now critics argue that even Biden’s own DOJ lawyers believed the warrants were unlawful.
What’s Next?
With congressional investigators circling, legal experts warn the autopen scandal could become a defining test of executive authority, presidential accountability, and DOJ independence.
If courts agree with DOJ lawyers that the warrants were defective, the controversial pardons may be struck down—potentially sending some of the released felons back to prison.
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illegal pardons wow
Biden was as sharp as a bowling ball.
Is Obama in jail yet?
Why are pardons issued without explicit records for the rationale for why they are given? Is there not a review board? Moreover, the lack of rationale of giving pardons to violent offenders suggests there may have been a corrupt process for giving them, otherwise why would they? Did someone receive a bribe for pushing through these pardons? This would extend to all non-violent ones to that have no clear documentation. Huge scandal.
Hunter Biden is the gift that keeps giving.
Won’t be long before Hillary takes him out.
“the gift that keeps giving”
Nope, “the grift that keeps griving”