Those who have offered protection include Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, immunologist Anthony Fauci and former Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden used his last moments to issue a preemptive pardon amid concerns that President Donald Trump would seek to prosecute someone he considered an enemy.
Biden on Monday pardoned several members of his own family, as well as former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci and former Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley.
The move comes as President Trump seeks to hold his political opponents accountable for his attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat and for his role in the storming of the U.S. Capitol four years ago. This was done after warning them of an enemy list full of people who would do so.
“These public servants serve our country with honor and distinction, and they do not deserve to be the subject of unwarranted and politically motivated prosecutions,” Biden said in a statement.
The U.S. Constitution gives the president broad pardon powers for federal crimes. Pardons are usually granted to people who have been indicted, but may also cover acts that have not yet resulted in legal proceedings.
The pardons cover all members of Congress, including Cheney, who served on the Congressional Select Committee that investigated the 2021 Capitol riot, as well as police officers who testified before the riot.
In December, President Trump supported calls for the FBI to investigate Cheney for her role in leading the congressional investigation into the assault.
“Thank you very much.”
Cheney, the committee’s vice chair, and Democratic Representative Bennie Thompson acknowledged the threats and harassment that Biden and his family have endured and expressed their gratitude to Biden.
“We are pardoned today not for breaking the law, but for upholding it,” they said in a statement.
Milley, who served as President Trump’s top military adviser from 2019 to early 2021, said in a statement that he was “deeply grateful” for Biden’s pardon.
In the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, Mr. Milley called the Chinese government to reassure China about the stability of the United States.
In a post on social media, President Trump called the call “an act so egregious that in the past it would have been punishable by death.”
Fauci told Reuters that the White House contacted him about the issue a month ago. He declared that he was not seeking a pardon.
“I appreciate the president reaching out and trying to protect me from these baseless accusations,” Fauci said. “I did nothing wrong and this is not an admission of guilt.”
Mr. Fauci has frequently clashed with Mr. Trump during the pandemic, and his supporters continue to attack the former health official.
family was pardoned
Among his family members, Biden granted preemptive pardons to brothers James and Francis. sister Valerie and husband John; and James’ wife Sarah.
Biden sparked controversy in December when he pardoned his son Hunter, who had been convicted of firearms and tax crimes, on the grounds that he was being persecuted for political purposes.
“My family has been subjected to relentless attacks and threats motivated solely by a desire to harm me. This is partisan politics of the worst kind,” Biden said in a statement. “Unfortunately, there is no reason to believe these attacks will end.”
President Trump condemned the move in remarks to his supporters. “Did you know that while I was speaking, Biden pardoned his entire family?” Trump said.
In a separate exchange with reporters, Trump accused Biden of setting an “incredible precedent” for future presidents.
“I think there is precedent for doing that now,” President Trump said.