This article was originally published in English
The American president took advantage of the last hours of his presidency to grant preventive pardons to those he described as potentially being the subject of “unjustified (and) politically motivated prosecutions”.
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Outgoing US President Joe Biden on Monday pardoned Dr Anthony Fauci, Mark Milley and members of a House committee who investigated the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, in an unprecedented move aimed at protecting people impacted by possible revenge from the Trump administration.
“The issuance of these pardons should not be confused with an acknowledgment that an individual has committed any wrongdoing, and acceptance should not be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense,” Biden said in a statement, adding that the United States “owes a debt of gratitude to these officials for their tireless commitment to our country.”
The preemptive move comes after Donald Trump, who is set to be inaugurated as US president on Monday, warned of an “enemies list” including those who have targeted him politically or sought to blame him of his role in the Capitol riots.
Although it is customary for a president to issue pardons at the end of his term, these are normally granted to ordinary American citizens who have been convicted of crimes. With this measure, Mr. Biden pardons people who have not yet been investigated.
Mr. Fauci was Mr. Biden’s chief medical adviser until his retirement in 2022. He is best known for helping coordinate the country’s response to the Influenza A (COVID-19) pandemic. He was targeted by Mr Trump when he refused to back up his claims about the virus.
-Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called Mr. Trump a “fascist” and detailed Mr. Trump’s conduct during the insurrection at the Capitol. In a statement, Milley said he was “deeply grateful” for Mr. Biden’s action.
The pardons also include members and staff of the Jan. 6 commission, including former Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, both Republicans, as well as Capitol Hill and Washington Metropolitan Police officers who testified before the commission.
Mr Biden promised a smooth transition to the next administration, but during his farewell speech he warned of a growing oligarchy of “tech billionaires” in the United States.
With his final act as president, Joe Biden set the record for the most individual pardons and commutations granted as president. On Friday, he announced he would commute the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug offenses.
Last month, he also commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 condemned to death, converting their sentences to life imprisonment instead of execution.
Additional sources • adaptation: Serge Duchêne
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