Joe Biden used the last day of his presidency to issue pre-emptive pardons to politicians, public servants and even his family members, in an extraordinary use of presidential power to guard against what he said were âthreatsâ by the incoming Trump administration.
Pardons were announced on Monday morning for key figures targeted by Donald Trump and his allies, including former White House chief medical adviser, Anthony Fauci, retired Gen Mark Milley and members of the House committee that investigated the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, who Biden said faced acts of ârevengeâ through criminal prosecution.
The pardons included two leading Republicans who have been critical of Trump, former representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, and who could face reprisals from the incoming president.
Later on Monday â just minutes before Donald Trump was inaugurated â the White House released another statement from Biden announcing his final act of high office: pardons for five members of his family.
âMy family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me â the worst kind of partisan politics. Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end,â Biden said.
Those pardoned were his two brothers, James and Francis. Also on the list were Sara, the wife of James Biden, Bidenâs sister Valerie and her husband John. Republicans have sought criminal investigations into alleged âinfluence peddlingâ against members of Bidenâs family. The outgoing president pardoned his son Hunter in December.
While it is usual for presidents to grant clemency at the end of their terms, Bidenâs decision extends the presidential pardons to those who have not been investigated. It also sets up a future political and judicial crisis, if Trump seeks to go after them.
In his first statement, Biden said the US âowes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our countryâ.
âThe 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,â he added.
âThese are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing,â Biden said in the statement. âEven when individuals have done nothing wrong â and in fact have done the right thing â and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage reputations and finances.â
The decision by Biden comes after Trump warned of an enemies list filled with those who have crossed him politically or sought to hold him accountable for his attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss and his role in the storming of the US Capitol on 6 January 2021. Trump has selected Cabinet nominees who have pledged to punish those involved in efforts to investigate him.
Fauci, who helped coordinate the nationâs response to the Covid-19 pandemic, raised the ire of Trump when he refused to back Trumpâs unfounded claims. He has become a target of intense hatred and vitriol from people on the right, who blame him for mask mandates and other policies they believe infringed on their rights, even as tens of thousands of Americans were dying.
Mark Milley is the former chair of the joint chiefs of staff and called Trump a fascist and detailed Trumpâs conduct around the Capitol insurrection.
In a statement, Milley said he was âdeeply gratefulâ for Bidenâs action. âAfter 43 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,â he said.
Biden also extended pardons to staff of the January 6 committee that investigated the attack, as well as the US Capitol and DC Metropolitan police officers who testified before the House committee about their experiences that day, when the Capitol was overrun by an angry, violent mob of Trump supporters.
The committee spent 18 months investigating Trump and the insurrection.
Former Capitol police officer Harry Dunn, who became an outspoken critic of Trump, told CBS News: âI wish this pardon werenât necessary, but unfortunately, the political climate we are in now has made the need for one somewhat of a reality. I, like all other public servants, was just doing my job and upholding my oath. I will always honor that.â
Biden has set the presidential record for most individual pardons and commutations issued. He announced on Friday he would commute the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug offenses.
In his Monday statement, Biden also commuted the life sentence imposed on Native American activist Leonard Peltier, who has served nearly five decades in federal prison for the 1975 killings of two FBI agents. Peltier will serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report