The U.S. Justice Department quietly replaced several pardons granted by former President Donald Trump after online users noticed strikingly identical signatures on documents dated November 7. The affected pardons included those for former New York Mets player Darryl Strawberry, former Tennessee House speaker Glen Casada, and former New York police sergeant Michael McMahon.
Forensic document experts confirmed the signatures were identical in the versions initially posted online. Within hours of public scrutiny, the Justice Department updated the documents with unique signatures, explaining the issue as a “technical error” caused by staffing challenges.
Chad Gilmartin, a Justice Department spokesperson, stated the replacement documents reflect that Trump personally signed each pardon. “There is no story here other than the fact that President Trump signed seven pardons by hand and DOJ posted those same seven pardons with seven unique signatures to our website,” Gilmartin said.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson reinforced that Trump signed each pardon manually, contrasting his method with President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen, which Trump has previously criticized.
Legal experts say the initial error has no impact on the validity of the pardons. Frank Bowman, a legal historian, emphasized, “The key to pardon validity is whether the president intended to grant the pardon. Any re-signing is an obvious, and rather silly, effort to avoid comparison to Biden.”
Trump’s pardons have largely benefited political allies, campaign donors, and individuals claiming victimization by the Justice Department. Casada, Strawberry, and McMahon were all serving sentences or facing legal penalties for offenses ranging from fraud and tax evasion to acting as a foreign agent.
The Justice Department’s swift correction highlights the scrutiny surrounding Trump’s clemency actions, even as questions arise over signature authenticity and procedural transparency. Despite the online debate, experts confirm the pardons remain legally valid.
