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President Biden pardoned five family members in his final minutes in office, saying in a statement that he was doing so not because they had done anything wrong but because he feared political backlash. from incoming President Donald J. Trump.
“My family has been subjected to constant attacks and threats, just out of a desire to harm me – the worst kind of partisan politics,” he said in his final statement as president. “Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe that these attacks will end.”
Mr. Biden’s move leaves his brother, James B. Biden; Sara Jones Biden, wife of James; Valerie Biden Owens, Mr. Biden’s sister; John T. Owens, husband of Mrs. Owens; and Francis W. Biden, brother of Mr. Biden.
The White House announced the pardon less than 20 minutes into Mr. Biden’s presidency, after he walked into the Capitol Rotunda to witness Mr. Trump’s swearing-in before leaving the Capitol for the last time. to be president.
The pardon was a dramatic coda to Mr. Biden’s 50-year political career, highlighting the mistrust and anger the president feels about Mr. Trump, his predecessor and successor. his position.
Mr. Biden has repeatedly warned that Mr. Trump is a threat to democracy in America. But he also said that he believes in the rule of law, and trusts in the stability of the law enforcement institutions. The amnesty – as he did before for his son, Hunter Biden, threatened to contradict this statement.
In his statement, Mr. Biden explained his actions.
“I believe in the rule of law, and I hope that the strength of legal institutions will ultimately triumph over politics,” Mr. Biden wrote. “But baseless and politically motivated investigations are destroying the lives, safety and financial security of the targeted individuals and their families. Even if the person has done nothing wrong and will eventually be exonerated, being investigated or prosecuted can only damage their reputation and money.
Mr. Biden also commuted the death sentence of Leonard Peltier, the Native American activist who was convicted of killing two FBI agents in 1975 on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Mr. Biden said his move would allow Mr. Peltier, who is 80, to serve out the rest of his time in the House.
In their statement, White House officials noted that “tribal nations, Nobel Peace Prize winners, former law enforcement officials (including the former US attorney who oversaw the prosecution and indictment of Mr. Peltier), dozens of lawmakers, and human rights organizations strongly support granting Mr. . he has spent time in prison.
The president also pardoned two Democratic politicians, Ernest William Cromartie, a former South Carolina city councilman, and Gerald G. Lundergan, a state legislator from Kentucky.
