Washington, DC – January 20: On January 20, 2025, U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden attend Donald J. Trump’s inauguration in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. The 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump, begins his second term in office. (Photo courtesy of Pool/Getty Images, taken by Ricky Carioti)Getty Pictures
Joe Biden pardoned his siblings and their spouses just minutes before he resigned as president. He said on Monday that his family had been the target of constant threats and attacks, driven only by a desire to harm him—the worst kind of political politics.
As his time as president was coming to a close, he observed, “Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end.”
During his half-century in politics, the Democrat, known as an institutionalist, took a number of unprecedented presidential moves, the family pardons being the unexpected culmination.Additionally, Biden pardoned supporters targeted by Republican President Donald Trump, retired General Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and members of the House committee that looked into the attack on the Capitol on January 6. On Monday, he was sworn in.
None of the aforementioned have been accused of any crimes, and the action was taken to protect against potential Trump retaliation. It was an impressive use of Biden’s presidential authority.
Throughout his campaign, Trump made it clear that he intended to utilize the Justice Department to retaliate against his alleged political opponents. During her confirmation hearing last week, Pam Bondi, his choice for attorney general, assured lawmakers that the department would not bring political charges against anyone. However, she declined to rule out possible inquiries of Trump’s opponents, such as the special counsel who filed two now-abandoned federal criminal charges against Trump.
Despite his earlier promises not to, Biden pardoned his son Hunter for tax and gun-related offenses last month.
Biden pardoned his sister Valerie and her husband John Owens, his brother Francis, and his brother James and his wife Sara.
According to a statement he made, the granting of these pardons should not be interpreted as an admission of guilt for any offense or as a recognition that they committed any wrongdoing.
Just before noon, the pardons were granted. Biden had previously attended Trump’s inauguration in the Capitol.
As part of a Republican impeachment investigation, House Republicans in June filed a letter to the Justice Department suggesting that Hunter and James Biden be charged with lying to Congress. At the time, James Biden’s attorney referred to it as a politicized move without any merit. As part of their unsuccessful impeachment investigation, Republicans closely examined James Biden’s economic activities. Republicans alleged that the president profited from his brother’s labor by pointing to a number of payments.
Using bank records that they claim show James Biden was repaying a debt from his brother Joe, who wired him $200,000 around six weeks prior, House Democrats justified the transaction. When Joe Biden was a private citizen, the money was exchanged.
James Biden stated in a voluntary interview conducted as part of the impeachment investigation that his brother was never involved in his family members’ business affairs.
Family members have been pardoned by other presidents, but only for certain criminal convictions.
About ten years ago, Bill Clinton pardoned his brother Roger for drug offenses after he had completed his term. Trump pardoned several associates found guilty in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, including Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, in the last weeks of his first administration.
The Associated Press
