Five Family Members, Including Siblings and Their Spouses, Receive Preemptive Pardons
Former U.S. President Joe Biden preemptively pardoned his family members on the 20th (local time) just before leaving office. Following the pardon of his son Hunter Biden, who was convicted on illegal firearm charges, in November last year, Biden once again pardoned his family, making it difficult to avoid criticism of hypocritical abuse of pardon powers.
President Biden pardoned his family members preemptively just minutes before his term ended.
The pardon announcement was made right before President Donald Trump entered the Rotunda Hall of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. to take the oath of office.
The pardon recipients include his brother James Biden and his spouse, his sister Valerie Biden Owens and her spouse, and his brother Francis Biden, totaling five people. Preemptive pardons are granted to individuals who have not yet been indicted. James Biden has been under suspicion of involvement in the Biden family’s overseas business dealings. As speculation arose that President Trump would launch a full investigation after taking office, the pardons appear to have been issued in response.
In a statement, former President Biden said, "My family has been subjected to relentless attacks and threats based on a desire to harm me," calling it "the worst kind of partisan politics." He added, "Unfortunately, there is no reason to believe these attacks will end."
This revealed that the pardons were issued out of concern that his family might be targeted by politically motivated investigations without grounds. He also emphasized that this action does not imply any admission of guilt for any crime.
However, Biden had previously criticized the issue of preemptive pardons for family members of outgoing presidents just before his inauguration in 2020, as there were expectations that then-President Trump would issue such pardons for his family.
Earlier, in November last year, Biden reversed his previous promise and pardoned his son Hunter, who had been convicted last year related to federal firearm possession laws.
Additionally, on the same day, former President Biden also issued preemptive pardons to former and current officials including Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Mark Milley, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Liz Cheney, who participated in the U.S. House Select Committee investigating the January 6th Capitol attack.
President Trump criticized this on NBC, calling the pardons "a disgrace" and stating, "Many are guilty of serious crimes."
CNN reported, "Among those included in Biden’s pardon list, none appear to be at immediate risk of legal action," and "Biden believes the threat is real and protection is necessary." It added, "Such a broad preemptive pardon has never been done before," pointing out that "Biden is taking unprecedented actions in presidential history."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
