Joe Biden pardons Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, and members of the Jan. 6 panel

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Anthony Fauci Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Hearing on COVID-19
Photo Credit: Shawn Thew/CNP/startraksphoto.com

In a dramatic final act before departing office on Monday, President Joe Biden announced he was granting pardons to retired Gen. Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Jan. 6 committee members and staff — which includes Liz Cheney, along with the U.S. Capitol and Washington, D.C., police officers who provided testimony to that committee.

Biden explained that these preemptive pardons were necessary due to threats of “unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions” by the incoming administration.

“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 released just before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

EXCLUSIVE US House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the US Capitol Hearing
House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the US Capitol Vice Chairwoman United States Representative Liz Cheney (Republican of Wyoming) offers her opening statement on day ten of the United States House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the US Capitol hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on December 19, 2022. The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol voted, for the first time in American history, to refer criminal charges against a former United States president to the Department of Justice. This concludes an 18-month long investigation of the insurrection that rocked the country’s democratic election system. Photo Credit: Rod Lamkey – CNP/DPA/Cover Images

Biden emphasized that “exceptional circumstances” necessitated the pardons. “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,” he said.

Whether the incoming Trump administration plans to pursue charges against these individuals remains uncertain. Pam Bondi, Trump’s attorney general nominee, stated during her confirmation hearing that political prosecutions wouldn’t occur under her leadership. However, Trump’s FBI director pick, Kash Patel, has advocated for investigations and prosecutions of many Trump opponents.

Fauci played a central role in America’s COVID-19 response. As an infectious disease expert at the National Institutes of Health, he advocated for mask-wearing and social distancing, while Trump supporters claim he concealed the supposed true origins of COVID. Trump called Fauci a “disaster” and Republican lawmakers have scrutinized him.

President Joe Biden Presents The Commander-in-Chief’s trophy
United States Army General Mark A. Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff attends the presentation of the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy to the Air Force Falcons at the White House. Photo Credit: Chris Kleponis/CNP/startraksphoto.com

Milley served as Joint Chiefs chairman during Trump’s presidency and subsequently described Trump as “fascist to the core” in a book by journalist Bob Woodward. Trump has suggested he deserves execution.

Biden defended the Jan. 6 committee members and testifying law enforcement officials, saying they fulfilled their duty to expose the insurrection attempt by Trump supporters in 2021.

“Rather than accept accountability, those who perpetrated the January 6th attack have taken every opportunity to undermine and intimidate those who participated in the Select Committee in an attempt to rewrite history, erase the stain of January 6th for partisan gain, and seek revenge, including by threatening criminal prosecutions,” Biden said.


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