WASHINGTON – As he concluded his time in the White House, President Joe Biden granted pardons to his family members and their spouses, voicing concerns on Monday about the persistent attacks and threats directed at his family, which he described as stemming from a desire to undermine him amidst partisan politics.
Biden expressed his belief that these attacks are unlikely to cease, a sentiment shared as he approached the end of his presidential term. The pardons of his family members served as an unexpected conclusion to a series of significant presidential actions undertaken by the Democrat, known for his institutional approach throughout his extensive political career. In addition to pardoning his family members, Biden also extended pardons to notable figures such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired General Mark Milley, and members of the House committee involved in the investigation of the January 6th Capitol attack. He was inaugurated on Monday.
This move represented a striking exercise of Biden’s executive authority, particularly given that none of those pardoned had faced criminal charges. This action seemed aimed at preemptively shielding them from any potential retribution that could arise from the administration of former President Donald Trump. During his campaign, Trump had hinted at the possibility of using the Justice Department to pursue revenge against those he viewed as his political enemies. Although Trump’s selected attorney general, Pam Bondi, assured lawmakers during her confirmation hearings that the department would avoid prosecutions based on political motives, she did not dismiss the possibility of investigating Trump’s opponents, including the special counsel responsible for previously abandoned federal criminal cases against Trump.
In a previous controversial move, Biden had pardoned his son Hunter for tax and gun-related offenses, despite having earlier claimed he would refrain from doing so. Among the family pardons announced were those for Biden’s brother James and his wife, Sara; his sister Valerie and her spouse, John Owens; and his brother Francis. Biden clarified in a statement that these pardons should not be interpreted as an admission of guilt or acknowledgment of any wrongdoing.
The pardons were issued just before noon while Biden was present at the Capitol for the inauguration of Trump. House Republicans had previously sent a letter to the Justice Department advocating for the prosecution of Hunter and James Biden, accusing them of making false statements to Congress during a Republican-led impeachment inquiry. At that time, James Biden’s attorney dismissed the allegations, branding them as lacking merit and purely partisan. Republican scrutiny of James Biden’s business dealings was a key aspect of their failed impeachment efforts, highlighting various payments they claimed demonstrated the president’s benefits from his brother’s endeavors.
In defense of these transactions, House Democrats referred to bank records they claimed showed James Biden was merely repaying a loan from Joe Biden, which amounted to $200,000 and occurred while Joe was a private citizen. During a voluntary interview related to the impeachment inquiry, James Biden asserted that his brother had no part in the business affairs of other family members.
In the wake of Biden’s pardon announcements, Trump voiced his disapproval to supporters, ridiculing the administration for timing the news for the final moments of Biden’s term. Trump remarked, “Did you know that Biden, while I was making my speech, pardoned his whole family? The brother — the whole deal was pardoned. Can you imagine that?”
While pardons for family members are not unprecedented, historical examples typically involved specific criminal convictions. For instance, Bill Clinton pardoned his brother Roger for drug-related charges after he had already served time for the crime a decade prior. In his final weeks in office, Trump also pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, along with several allies who had been convicted as part of the Mueller investigation regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election.
