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In the final hours of his presidency, US President Joe Biden issued pre-emptive pardons to several key figures, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired General Mark Milley, and members of the House committee that investigated the January 6 Capitol attack.
The pardons come as Biden seeks to protect these individuals from potential “revenge” actions by the incoming Trump administration, which has expressed intentions to target those involved in investigations of former President Donald Trump.
Biden's decision comes in the wake of public comments from Trump, who has previously threatened to pursue actions against individuals who have sought to hold him accountable for his role in the January 6th attack and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. The pardons were granted despite no formal acknowledgment of wrongdoing or criminal activity by the recipients.
In a statement, President Biden made it clear that these pardons should not be viewed as an admission of guilt. “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.
He emphasised that the individuals pardoned had served the country with dedication, stating, “Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country.”
While it is customary for a president to grant clemency at the end of their term, such acts of mercy typically go to ordinary Americans convicted of crimes. However, Biden has exercised his pardon power in an unprecedented manner, extending it to individuals who have not even been investigated.
“These are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing,” Biden said, 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.”
Dr Anthony Fauci, who served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for nearly four decades and was President Biden's chief medical advisor until his retirement in 2022, played a central role in coordinating the US response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
His refusal to support former President Trump's unfounded claims drew sharp criticism from Trump and his supporters. Fauci has since become a target of severe backlash from conservatives, who blame him for implementing policies like mask mandates during the pandemic, even as the nation faced significant loss of life.
Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, earned ire from Trump after calling him a fascist and providing testimony on Trump's actions during the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.
In addition to Fauci and Milley, President Biden is granting pardons to members and staff of the House January 6 committee, including former Republican Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, as well as US Capitol and D.C. Metropolitan police officers who testified during the committee’s investigations.
Dr. Anthony Fauci has expressed gratitude after receiving a preemptive pardon from President Joe Biden, which he said learned about it earlier in the day. In a phone call with CNN, Fauci confirmed the news and thanked the president for the decision.
“It feels good and I’m grateful to the president for doing it,” Fauci was quoted as sayin, emphasising his innocence in response to the threats and accusations that have surrounded him in recent months. He, as per the news report, pointed to President Biden’s statement, which affirmed that Fauci has not committed any crimes.
“I have done nothing wrong. Certainly nothing criminal. No grounds at all,” Fauci added, reiterating his stance on the matter.
The preemptive pardon was issued in the context of increasing threats against Fauci, many of which arose from Republican lawmakers accusing him of misconduct during his tenure as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and his leadership role in the US response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fauci mentioned, the report stated, that a month ago, the Biden administration had reached out to him regarding the threats and the possibility of granting a pardon.
“I didn’t know it was real until last night,” Fauci explained, when the White House indicated that the pardon was a likely outcome.
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