Former President Joe Biden’s final act as president was to preemptively pardon several members of his family.
The sweeping pardon covers the president’s brother, James B. Biden; sister-in-law, Sara Jones Biden; sister, Valerie Biden Owens; brother-in-law, John T. Owens; and brother, Francis W. Biden. The pardons were announced minutes before President-elect Donald Trump was sworn in.
“The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that they engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense,” Biden said in a statement.
The pardons mark the second time in recent weeks that Biden has moved to protect his family members from legal jeopardy. In December, he issued a broad pardon for his son, Hunter, who was due to be sentenced for federal tax and gun crimes.
“My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me—the worst kind of partisan politics. Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end,” Biden said.
He suggested that his family members would be subject to “baseless and politically motivated investigations” under the Trump administration. (Read more: The Epoch Times, 1/20/2025) (Archive)
Joe Biden, in one of his final acts as president, pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley and members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, in an extraordinary use of executive power to guard against potential “revenge” by the new Trump administration.
Statement from retired Gen. Mark Milley on pardon from @JoeBiden today:
“My family and I are deeply grateful for the President’s action today.
After forty-three years of faithful service in uniform to our Nation, protecting and defending the Constitution, I do not wish to… pic.twitter.com/NBA74GpMl4
— Tara Copp (@TaraCopp) January 20, 2025
The decision Monday by Biden came after now-President Donald Trump had 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 Capitol siege four years ago. Trump has selected Cabinet nominees who backed his election lies and who have pledged to punish those involved in efforts to investigate him.
“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,” Biden said in a statement. “Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country.”
The prospect of such pardons had been the subject of heated debate for months at the highest levels of the White House. It’s customary for a president to grant clemency at the end of his term, but those acts of mercy are usually offered to Americans who have been convicted of crimes. (Associated Press, 1/20/2025) (Archive)
Trump Slams Biden’s ‘Disgraceful’ Pardons: ‘Many Are Guilty of MAJOR CRIMES!’
