(DCNF)—Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley on Tuesday demanded that former President Joe Biden’s staff secretary Stefanie Feldman testify before Congress on her use of the autopen during his term.
The New York Times published a Sunday article on Biden’s use of an autopen to issue clemency, reporting that Feldman was the person who “managed use of the autopen.” Hawley said on “Bannon’s War Room” that he expected Feldman’s testimony would show that Biden did not approve any of the clemency he issued, asserting that if he was correct, it “would be like the scandal of the century.”
“[F]irst of all, we need to call the person. We now have the name of the person who managed the autopen under Biden … She needs to be called before Congress, put under oath, testify in public,” Hawley told host Steve Bannon. “We need to hear from her. We need to know exactly what did he authorize? When did he authorize it? I suspect the truth is, Steve, he didn’t authorize anything, which would be like the scandal of the century. We need to know that.”
“Number two, there is supposed to be a paper trail. We had a hearing on this in the Senate a couple of weeks ago. To me, the big revelation out of that hearing was, every time the autopen is used, there’s supposed to be an explicit paper trail,” he continued. “The president has to, at a minimum, give verbal consent to use it — and a record is made of that. So let’s get all the documents. Let’s see them. They should be in Biden’s archives. They ought to be in his papers. We need to go get them, if Biden’s not going to release them voluntarily. Congress ought to subpoena those documents and get them and put them out in public.”
Biden told the NYT that he had directed his staff to use the autopen on clemency warrants because he granted them to “a whole lot of people,” but claimed he approved every pardon and commutation at the end of his presidency.
He also addressed the pardons he gave to his family and prominent individuals such as Gen. Mark Milley and Dr. Anthony Fauci. He told the NYT that he talked about every “high-profile pardon” personally with his staff.
“Everybody knows how vindictive he is, so we knew that they’d do what they’re doing now,” Biden told the NYT, asserting he wanted to protect pardon recipients from significant legal costs fighting potential cases from President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice.
“I consciously made all those decisions,” Biden added.
The sole pardon Biden signed using his own hand from December 2024 to January 2025 was for his son Hunter. He issued 25 pardons and commutations using the autopen during that same time frame.
Emails reviewed by the NYT showed that Biden’s staff had a process to ensure that he gave verbal approval for autopen usage. When Biden granted a wide array of clemency and pardons toward the end of his term, he did not personally approve each person but did approve the guidelines for them, according to the NYT, citing reviewed emails.
Political analyst Mark Halperin criticized the NYT on “The Morning Meeting” Monday for omitting Republican voices and legal experts from its article.
“I don’t understand that as a matter of journalism. And I guarantee you if it were a Republican, they’d have both those things,” Halperin said. “They’d have some hysterical law professor saying this is an impeachable offense. And they’d have a Republican saying this needs to be investigated. It’s absent from the story. It’s madness!”
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Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
Advisor Bullion serves as a dependable source for straightforward, high-quality bullion. The company specializes in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, emphasizing transparent pricing and products that deliver maximum metal content for every dollar spent. This approach makes it ideal for both personal holdings and retirement accounts.
Bullion consists of refined precious metals in standard forms like one-ounce coins (American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs) or bars. Their value tracks closely to the current spot price of the metal. A typical gold bullion coin trades near the live gold spot price plus a small premium. This structure keeps costs clear and predictable.
Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
When keeping metals in a home safe or private vault, liquidity and efficiency count. Bullion offers clear benefits:
- You acquire more actual gold or silver per dollar invested. Numismatics divert a large share of your money into rarity premiums and massive sales commission, reducing your metal exposure.
- Selling bullion involves tight bid-ask spreads, so you recover nearly full spot value with minimal fees. Collectibles require finding the right buyer and may sell at a discount if demand for that specific item weakens.
- Bullion prices remain transparent and update with global spot markets. You can track gold near current levels or silver accordingly and know exactly where your holdings stand. Numismatic values are priced by the Gold IRA companies with hefty margins applied.
- Standardized coins and bars store efficiently and divide easily for partial sales. Rare coins often need protective slabs and controlled conditions, adding hassle and expense.
- Bullion enjoys worldwide acceptance. A 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf or Silver Eagle sells quickly to dealers anywhere. Niche numismatic pieces may appeal only to limited buyers, slowing liquidation when speed matters.
In times when quick access to value becomes important, bullion’s simplicity stands out.
Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.