In a statement released at 7 a.m. Monday morning, the White House said Joe Biden preemptively pardoned Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, and members of the January 6 Select Committee.
With just hours left in the Biden-Harris administration, the statement claimed the individuals pardoned were “dedicated, selfless public servants.”
According to to the statement, Biden claims to still believe in the rule of law, but added: “But these are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing.”
Fauci accepted the pardon in a statement, claiming he was subject to "politically motivated threats of investigation and prosecution."
"Let me be perfectly clear: I have committed no crime and there are no possible grounds for any allegation or threat of criminal investigation or prosecution of me. The fact is, however, that the mere articulation of these baseless threats, and the potential that they will be acted upon, create immeasurable and intolerable distress for me and my family. For these reasons, I acknowledge and appreciate the action that President Biden has taken today on my behalf," Fauci wrote.
Author Michael Shellenberger wrote in a LinkedIn post: "Biden pardoned Fauci. He says it’s not an admission of guilt. But if Fauci were innocent, no pardon would be needed. The evidence suggests Fauci helped create the Covid pandemic, and then covered it up. The investigation must go forward. All Covid & Fauci Files must be released."
Author and lawyer Lisa Mironi noted in a LinkedIn post: "Biden pardoned Fauci. For what. Dui? Child mass myocarditis? Criminal fraudulent representation? A pardoned criminal prior to any investigation. Headed to diplomatic immunity position next with WHO or UN. Is that where the worst crimes can happen? The globalists always use diplomatic immunity... But should we know the crime before the pardon?"
Milley thanked Biden in a similar statement on Monday: "My family and I are deeply grateful for the President’s action today. After forty-three years of faithful service in uniform to our Nation, protecting and defending the Constitution, I do not wish to spend whatever remaining time the Lord grants me fighting those who unjustly might seek retribution for perceived slights. I do not want to put my family, my friends, and those with whom I served through the resulting distraction, expense, and anxiety."
Notably left off the pardons list were special counsel Jack Smith, former FBI Director Christopher Wray, former Attorney General Merrick Garland, and retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman.
While the pardons protect the individuals from federal criminal charges, President Donald Trump's primary private attorney Jesse Binnall pointed out on social media that a major reason the legal community was skeptical of Biden’s preemptive pardons before Monday is the pardons make it easier to force testimony.
“The pardons are actually great news. No one who was just pardoned will be able to refuse to testify in a civil, criminal, or congressional proceeding based upon the 5th Amendment,” Binnall wrote.
The pardons also won’t protect those who received them from congressional investigation, or other types of investigation, such as tax inquiry, if those were to arise, Binnall said.
House Oversight Committee Republicans reminded Americans that Biden also pardoned his son Hunter Biden — which he had told the country he would not do: "Joe Biden will be remembered for using his last few weeks in office to shield his son from the law and protect himself."
Leftist media rallied to Biden's defense, with <a href="https://www.aol.com/biden-pardons-fauci-milley-effort-121317946.html">The Associated Press</a> calling the pardons an "extraordinary use of the powers of the presidency in his final hours to guard against potential 'revenge' by the incoming Trump administration."
The statement in full:
Our nation relies on dedicated, selfless public servants every day. They are the lifeblood of our democracy. Yet alarmingly, public servants have been subjected to ongoing threats and intimidation for faithfully discharging their duties. In certain cases, some have even been threatened with criminal prosecutions, including General Mark A. Milley, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, and the members and staff of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. These public servants have served our nation with honor and distinction and do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions.
General Milley served our nation for more than 40 years, serving in multiple command and leadership posts and deploying to some of the most dangerous parts of the world to protect and defend democracy. As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he guided our Armed Forces through complex global security threats and strengthened our existing alliances while forging new ones.
For more than half a century, Dr. Fauci served our country. He saved countless lives by managing the government’s response to pressing health crises, including HIV/AIDS, as well as the Ebola and Zika viruses. During his tenure as my Chief Medical Advisor, he helped the country tackle a once-in-a-century pandemic. The United States is safer and healthier because of him.
On January 6, 2021, American democracy was tested when a mob of insurrectionists attacked the Capitol in an attempt to overturn a fair and free election by force and violence. In light of the significance of that day, Congress established the bipartisan Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol to investigate and report upon the facts, circumstances, and causes of the insurrection. The Select Committee fulfilled this mission with integrity and a commitment to discovering the truth. Rather than accept accountability, those who perpetrated the January 6th attack have taken every opportunity to undermine and intimidate those who participated in the Select Committee in an attempt to rewrite history, erase the stain of January 6th for partisan gain, and seek revenge, including by threatening criminal prosecutions.
I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics. But these are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing. Baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety, and financial security of targeted individuals and their families. Even when individuals have done nothing wrong—and in fact have done the right thing—and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage reputations and finances.
That is why I am exercising my authority under the Constitution to pardon General Mark A. Milley, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the Members of Congress and staff who served on the Select Committee, and the U.S. Capitol and D.C. Metropolitan police officers who testified before the Select Committee. 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. Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country.
Implication is that they needed the pardons… So, let’s call them all before Congress and demand the truth. If they refuse or lie - let’s test the constitutional “reach” of these pardons with regard to their future actions. https://t.co/Cu12JRTFhg
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) January 20, 2025
Biden pardoned Milley.
Never forget that Milley communicated with China behind the sitting president’s back and told them he would give them a heads-up if the U.S. ever launched an attack. pic.twitter.com/gnhGYo3QC6 — I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) January 20, 2025
*** Except Hunter Biden, Mark Milley, Anthony Fauci, Pencil Neck, Bennie Thompson, Liz Cheney, Joe Biden, Dr. Jill, and Crazy Nancy pic.twitter.com/hI3nRD8NkA
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 20, 2025
OK, I changed my mind. These pardons were worth it just so I could see Rachel Vindman throw a tantrum over not getting one. pic.twitter.com/HFzUmgaaZh
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) January 20, 2025
Timely: Defund Fake News
