Former President Joe Biden continued using the final moments of his term to grant clemency and pardons. In the closing hours of his presidency, Biden issued pardons to several individuals who have been identified as potential targets of President Donald Trump and Republicans. These include the leader of the White House’s COVID-19 response, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and key figures involved in the January 6 Committee investigation. Biden also issued separate pardons for members of his family.
Pardons Are Not “An Acknowledgement That Any Individual Engaged in Any Wrongdoing”
On Monday, hours before leaving office, President Biden announced pardons for Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House’s Chief Medical Advisor who led the country’s public health response during the COVID-19 pandemic; Gen. Mark Milley, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who served under both Trump and Biden; members of Congress who participated in the January 6 Committee and their staff; and the police officers who testified before the committee. Many of these individuals had publicly criticized Trump during Biden’s presidency and faced threats of retaliation and prosecution from Trump and other Republicans.
In his statement, Biden emphasized, “The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense.”
Pardoned Individuals Respond with Gratitude and Relief
Gen. Milley expressed his gratitude, stating, “After forty-three years of faithful service in uniform to our Nation, protecting and defending the Constitution, I do not wish to spend whatever remaining time the Lord grants me fighting those who unjustly might seek retribution for perceived slights.”
Dr. Fauci also responded with appreciation for the pardon, adding, “I am grateful for this pardon while emphasizing that I have done nothing wrong. Certainly nothing criminal.”
Members of Congress who served on the January 6 Committee issued a joint statement, noting that they had faced “threats of criminal prosecution and imprisonment by members of the incoming administration, simply for doing our job and upholding our oaths of office.” They expressed thanks to Biden for the pardons, stating, “We have been pardoned today not for breaking the law but for upholding it.”
Biden Issues Pardons for Family Members
Minutes before Trump’s swearing-in as president, Biden issued another round of last-minute pardons, this time to several family members. The recipients included the former president’s siblings and their spouses. According to the announcement, they were granted “a full and unconditional pardon for any nonviolent offenses against the United States which they may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014, through the date of this pardon.”
These final pardons add to President Biden’s extensive use of clemency powers. His actions have included pardons and commutations for thousands of mostly nonviolent offenders convicted of drug and other offenses, commutations to life without parole for most federal death row inmates, and a sweeping pardon for his son, Hunter Biden.
As debates over Biden’s use of the pardon power continue, his last-minute actions on Monday provide legal protection for his family and others who may face retribution from the now-dominant Republicans in Washington, D.C.
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