U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R) has voiced strong support for the Department of Justice's (DOJ) investigation into the Biden administration's mass pardons and commutations.
In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Cruz committed to ensuring the DOJ has all the necessary resources to ensure the success of those investigations. He raised concerns regarding the scale and process of the clemencies issued in 2024 and early 2025 by former President Joe Biden.
Cruz also questioned whether the proper constitutional procedures were followed.
"Reports suggest that Biden-Harris officials took advantage of the decline in the President's mental acuity, coupled with the chaos of the Presidential transition, to implement sweeping, fringe, progressive polices on crime and law enforcement," Cruz wrote.
He added that those actions may have appropriated powers reserved exlusively for the President, potentially violating the U.S. Constituion.
On December 12, 2024, the Biden administration commuted 1,500 sentences and pardoned 39 individuals. The following month, in January, an additional 2,490 commutations were granted.
The letter raises questions about the legitimacy of some of the documents, stating that at least some pardons were signed using an autopen of Biden's signature.
"These and other reports suggest a direct and unprecedented assult on our constitutional order," Cruz warned, emphasizing that the DOJ's ongoing investigation could take years. "I stand ready to provide whatever resources are necessary to ensure the success of those investigations."
In June, Cruz participated in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to examine the clemency process.
