In an unprecedented move during his final moments in office, President Joe Biden issued a series of preemptive pardons to protect his family members and key allies from potential future prosecution. The dramatic decision, announced just before Trump’s inauguration, marks a significant departure from Biden’s long-standing reputation as a political institutionalist.
Protecting family members from ‘partisan attacks’
Biden extended pardons to his siblings James, Valerie, and Francis Biden, along with their spouses Sara Biden and John Owens. In justifying these pardons, Biden stated, “My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me — the worst kind of partisan politics.”
The president emphasized that these pardons should not be interpreted as an admission of wrongdoing, stating, “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.”
Business dealings and congressional scrutiny
The pardons follow months of Republican scrutiny into the Biden family’s business dealings, particularly those of James Biden. House Republicans had previously recommended prosecution of both Hunter and James Biden for allegedly making false statements to Congress during their impeachment inquiry.
Democrats defended James Biden’s financial transactions, pointing to bank records showing that a questioned payment was actually repayment of a $200,000 loan from Joe Biden while he was a private citizen. During his voluntary testimony, James Biden maintained that his brother “never had any involvement” in family members’ business dealings.
Broader pattern of protective pardons
These family pardons are part of a larger group of protective measures that included pardons for Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, and members of the January 6 investigation committee. This follows Biden’s earlier pardon of his son Hunter for tax and gun crimes.
Presidential pardons of family members, while controversial, are not without precedent. Bill Clinton pardoned his brother Roger for drug charges, and Donald Trump pardoned his son-in-law’s father, Charles Kushner, along with several political allies during his final weeks in office.
