Biden protects Fauci, Cheney, Milley in last-minute pardons
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The news: In his final hours in office, US President Joe Biden issued unprecedented pre-emptive pardons to shield Dr Anthony Fauci, retired Gen Mark Milley and others, from retribution promised by incoming President Donald Trump.
The pardons, issued on Monday local time (Tuesday AEDT), also covered members of the January 6 congressional committee, including former Representative Liz Cheney and police officers who testified about the Capitol attack.
Biden stressed the pardons did not imply guilt or wrongdoing, but were meant to protect public servants from “unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions.”
The context: Trump, who has pledged to prosecute opponents and has repeatedly targeted Milley, Fauci and others for their roles in investigations or criticisms of his actions, is due to be sworn in at noon, local time.
The January 6 committee – led by Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, and Bennie Thompson, a Democrat from Mississippi – spent 18 months investigating the Capitol attack, concluding Trump engaged in a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election.
Trump’s incoming administration has been planning a purge of perceived political enemies, with key appointees, such as attorney general nominee Pam Bondi and FBI director nominee Kash Patel, supportive of Trump’s retribution agenda.
What they said: “These public servants have served our nation with honor and distinction and do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions,” Biden said in a statement.
“I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics. But these are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing.”
“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 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.”
In a statement, Milley publicly thanked Biden, saying: “after forty-three years of faithful service in uniform to our Nation, protecting and defending the Constitution, I do not wish to spend whatever remaining time the Lord grants me fighting those who unjustly might seek retribution for perceived slights,” he said. “I do not want to put my family, my friends, and those with whom I served through the resulting distraction, expense, and anxiety.”
Other pardoned individuals such as Adam Kinzinger and Adam Schiff were less welcoming of the pardons, arguing they would give the impression they had done something wrong and leave an inappropriate precedent.
The sources: Joe Biden statement , New York Times
