President Biden, in final act in office, pardons his family

President Joe Biden pardoned his siblings and their spouses on Monday. He explained his decision by stating the pardons were due to politically motivated attacks against his family.

“Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end,” he said. The pardons were issued shortly before Biden left office. They were part of a larger group of pardons and commutations that included aides and allies.

None of the individuals pardoned had been charged with crimes. Last month, Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, for tax and gun crimes.


Earlier in the day, Biden pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley and members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, in an extraordinary use of the powers of the presidency in his final hours to guard against potential “revenge” by the incoming Trump administration.

The decision by Biden comes after Donald Trump warned of an enemies list filled with those who have crossed him politically or sought to hold him accountable for his attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss and his role in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trump has selected Cabinet nominees who backed his election lies and who have pledged to punish those involved in efforts to investigate him.