Biden pardons Fauci, Milley and 6 January committee members in unprecedented move

US President Joe Biden pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, General Mark Milley, and members of a House committee that investigated the Capitol Hill riot on January 6, 2021, in an unprecedented move to shield them from potential retaliation by the former Trump administration. On the final day of his presidency, he also pardoned several close family members.

"The issuance of these pardons should not be taken as a sign that those individuals did anything wrong, nor should accepting them be seen as an admission of guilt for any wrongdoing,” Biden said in a statement, saying that the US "owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their long and hard work for our country.”

The decision was made beforehand, after President-elect Donald Trump threatened to create a "list of enemies" consisting of those who have spoken out against him politically or tried to hold him responsible for his involvement in the riots on Capitol Hill.

Although it's traditional for a president to give pardons right before leaving office, normally these are given to ordinary Americans who have already been found guilty of crimes. By making this move, Biden is pardoning people who have not yet been investigated.

Fauci was Biden's chief medical advisor up until his retirement in 2022, and he is probably best known for helping to put together the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was criticized by Trump when he wouldn't back up his claims about the virus.

Former Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley described Trump as a "fascist" and detailed his alleged behavior regarding the Capitol Hill riot. In a statement, Milley expressed his gratitude for Biden's actions.

The pardons also include members and staff of the January 6 committee, including former Republican Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, as well as US Capitol police and Metropolitan Police Department officers in Washington DC who testified before the committee.

In the final minutes before Donald Trump's inauguration, five of his family members received pardons: his younger brother, James Biden, his brother-in-law, his sister Valerie Biden Owens, and her husband, as well as his brother, Francis W. Biden.

The former president said in a statement that "My family and I have been subjected to persistent harassment and threats, solely intended to cause me harm and driven by the desire for partisan gain. Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will stop."

Biden vowed for a seamless shift to the next administration, but during his goodbye speech, he cautioned of a growing "tech billionaires' cartel" in the US.

With one of his last acts as president, Biden has set a record in the number of pardons and sentence commutations he has issued while in office. On Friday, it was announced that he will be commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug offenses.

Last month, he also reduced the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on death row, changing their sentences to life in prison instead of execution.

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