Joe Biden Pardons Close Family Members On Final Day As US President

Joe Biden issued preemptive pardons to his brothers- James and Francis. Meanwhile, he also pardoned Sara, the wife of James Biden, his sister Valerie and her husband John.

File photo of US President Joe Biden.

Source : PTI

President Joe Biden on Monday issued preemptive pardons for his family members along with prominent critics of Donald Trump to shield them against revenge by the Republican president. 

The final orders by the outgoing-President came shortly before the oath-taking of Donald Trump. 

"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. I am exercising my power under the Constitution to pardon James B. Biden, Sara Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John T. Owens, and Francis W. Biden," a statement of President Joe Biden said.

Those pardoned are his two brothers- James and Francis. Meanwhile, the US President also pardoned Sara, the wife of James Biden, his sister Valerie and her husband John.

"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," it added.

The pardons came in the final hours of Biden’s presidency, in a rare display of presidential power that is unprecedented in recent presidential history. 

The fresh pardons followed after Biden issued preemptive pardons for Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired General Mark Milley, and members of the House committee that investigated the January 6 attack on the Capitol. 

Biden’s decision comes after Trump signalled plans to target individuals who played a role in investigating his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and his involvement in the Capitol riot. 

The president-elect has also appointed Cabinet members who backed his claims of election fraud and have pledged to act against those who probed his actions. Several of Biden’s family members had testified before a House Oversight panel into the accusations of influence peddling.

The recipients of Biden’s pardons include Dr Fauci, who served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for around four decades and was Biden’s chief medical adviser until his retirement in 2022. Fauci, who was at the top in coordinating the nation’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, became a target of intense criticism from Trump and his supporters.