 "File image of US President Joe Biden.")
President Joe Biden has granted pardons to Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, and members of the House committee that investigated the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
In his final hours in office, Biden is using his extraordinary powers to protect against potential “revenge” from the incoming Trump administration.
This decision follows Donald Trump’s warning of an enemies list targeting those who have politically opposed him or sought accountability for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and his involvement in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
Trump has chosen Cabinet nominees who supported his election claims and have vowed to take action against those involved in investigating 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,” The Associated Press quoted Biden as saying in a statement.
“Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country,” Biden added.
It is customary for a president to grant clemency at the end of their term, typically extending mercy to everyday Americans convicted of crimes. However, Biden has taken this power in a broader and more unconventional direction by pardoning individuals who have not yet been investigated. This action implicitly suggests an admission of guilt or wrongdoing, even though those pardoned have not faced formal accusations, reported The Associated Press.
“These are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing,” Biden was quoted as saying, adding that “Even when individuals have done nothing wrong — and in fact have done the right thing — and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage reputations and finances."
Fauci served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health for nearly 40 years and was Biden’s chief medical adviser until his retirement in 2022.
He played a key role in coordinating the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, facing criticism from Trump for refusing to support Trump’s unfounded claims. As a result, Fauci has become a focal point of animosity from some right-wing individuals who blame him for mask mandates and policies they perceive as infringements on their rights, all while the country grappled with significant loss of life.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsMark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, referred to Trump as a fascist and criticised his actions during the January 6, 2021, insurrection.
Biden is also granting pardons to members and staff of the January 6 committee, including former Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, both Republicans, as well as Capitol and D.C. Metropolitan police officers who testified before the committee.
As an institutionalist, Biden has promised a smooth transition to the next administration, even inviting Trump to the White House and asserting that the nation will be alright. However, during his farewell address, he cautioned against a rising oligarchy and spent years warning that Trump’s potential return to the presidency would pose a threat to democracy. His decision to issue preemptive pardons reflects these concerns and a break from political norms.
Biden has set a presidential record for the number of individual pardons and commutations granted, recently announcing that he would commute the sentences of nearly 2,500 individuals convicted of nonviolent drug offenses.
He had also previously commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, changing their sentences to life imprisonment just weeks before Trump, a vocal supporter of capital punishment, takes office. During his first term, Trump oversaw an unprecedented number of executions—13—in a condensed timeframe amid the coronavirus pandemic.
With inputs from agencies