President Biden Issues Pardons for Siblings and Wives ahead of Departure from Office
President Joe Biden on Monday morning issued a preemptive pardon for three of his siblings and two of their spouses, citing concerns that they would be targeted by "baseless and politically motivated investigations."
The pardons were issued just minutes before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration as the next commander-in-chief. The recipients of the pardons include James Biden, James’ wife Sara Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens and her husband John Owens, and Francis Biden, all of whom were cited as being at risk of being targeted by partisan attacks.
Biden’s statement accompanying the pardons emphasized that the issuance of the pardons should not be seen as an admission of wrongdoing by the individuals involved. He also pardoned Gerald Lundergan, former chairman of the Kentucky Democratic Party, and former South Carolina Councilman Ernest Cromartie. Additionally, Biden commuted the life sentence of Leonard Peltier, who was convicted of killing two FBI agents in 1975 and had been in prison for over 45 years.
The move is seen as a rare instance of a president issuing pardons for family members, although there is precedent for such actions. President Bill Clinton had pardoned his half-brother Roger Clinton, who had pleaded guilty to drug charges, on his last day in office, while President Trump had pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, for tax fraud and other crimes.
The move has been met with criticism from some quarters, including a strongly worded statement from President Trump, who called the action "disgraceful" and claimed that many of the individuals receiving pardons were guilty of "MAJOR CRIMES!"