President Biden has issued pre-emptive pardons for Dr Anthony Fauci, General Mark Milley and members of the January 6th Committee, citing potential “unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions” following Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Describing the recipients of the pardons as having been “threatened with criminal prosecutions,” Biden said in a statement today that “these public servants have served our nation with honor and distinction”.
President Trump is due to be inaugurated later today, prompting Biden to issue the unprecedented pardons on his final day in office.
Trump has previously suggested that some members of the outgoing Biden administration and its allies ought to be prosecuted or otherwise punished for their handling of the United States’ governance.
“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 offence,” Biden said in his statement.