President Joe Biden has issued last-minute pardons for several people who President-elect Donald Trump may seek revenge against once he takes office in a matter of hours.
Biden officially leaves office when Trump takes the oath of office at noon. But on Monday morning, Biden issued preemptive pardons for Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley and members of the Jan. 6 House committee, The Associated Press reported.
Trump had earlier warned of a list he has compiled that has several people who either challenged him politically or tried to make him accountable for trying to overturn the 2020 election, the AP reported.
Biden wrote in a statement, “Our nation relies on dedicated, selfless public servants every day. They are the lifeblood of our democracy,” adding, “Yet alarmingly, public servants have been subjected to ongoing threats and intimidation for faithfully discharging their duties,” CNN reported.
“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 offense,” Biden said. “Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country.”
Fauci was the country’s top infectious disease officer and the face of the COVID-19 pandemic response under Trump. The former president frequently disagreed publicly with Fauci about the steps taken to curtail the spread of the virus. In 2020 during his second presidential campaign, Trump called Fauci a “disaster” and referred to him and other health officials as “idiots,” CNN reported at the time.
Fauci said he appreciated the pardon but said he committed no crime and doesn’t see a reason to be prosecuted, the AP reported.
Milley was the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who called Trump a fascist and spoke openly about Trump’s actions during the Jan. 6, 2021 events, the AP reported.
The retired general said in a statement, that he would not have to worry about “retribution for perceived slights,” the AP reported. He said he was “deeply grateful” for the preemptive pardon.
Members of the Jan. 6 House committee receiving pardons include former Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger as well as U.S. Capitol and D.C. Metropolitan police who testified in front of the committee, the AP reported.
Trump accused the committee members of destroying evidence and committing “a major crime” during the investigation. He said that “everybody” who served on the committee, “should go to jail,” CBS News reported.
Kinzinger previously told CNN, “I’m guilty of nothing besides bringing the truth to the American people and in the process, embarrassing Donald Trump.”
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