Joe Biden Quietly Pardoned Several Loved Ones Minutes Before Donald Trump Took Presidential Oath

Among those pardoned were Biden's siblings and their spouses

Anna Lazarus Caplan

20 January 2025 at 2:15 pm·2-min read

Jim Lo Scalzo/UPI/Shutterstock Former President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden — Jim Lo Scalzo/UPI/Shutterstock
Former President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden

In the waning moments of his presidency, Joe Biden issued preemptive pardons for his loved ones.

“My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me — the worst kind of partisan politics,” Biden said in a statement. “Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end.”

He continued, “I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics. But baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety, and financial security of targeted individuals and their families. Even when individuals have done nothing wrong and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage their reputations and finances.”

Biden added that he was “exercising” his power under the Constitution to pardon his siblings and their spouses: brother James B. Biden and his wife Sara Jones Biden, sister Valerie Biden Owens and her husband John T. Owens and brother Francis W. Biden.

“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.

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The last-minute pardons come on the heels of another set that Biden issued early Monday morning for high-profile figures whom President Donald Trump has publicly spoken out against.

Among those who received pardons were Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former chief medical advisor to the president who served during the COVID pandemic, as well as Gen. Mark A. Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who was appointed by Trump in 2019 during his first administration.

Others who made it onto Biden's list of presidential pardons included members who served on the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, including former Representative Liz Cheney, Sen. Adam Schiff, former Representative Adam Kinzinger as well as Capitol and Washington D.C. police who testified.

Trump later shared a statement with NBC News via text, telling Meet the Press' Kristen Welker, "It is disgraceful. Many are guilty of major crimes."

Biden's decision is viewed as a guard against any acts of potential revenge from the Trump administration.

“Our nation relies on dedicated selfless public servants every day,” Biden shared in a statement explaining his preemptive pardons. “They are the lifeblood of our democracy yet alarmingly public servants have been subjected to ongoing threats and intimidation for faithfully discharging their duties.”

"Our nation," Biden added, "owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country.”

Read the original article on People

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