President Joe Biden issued preemptive pardons to several close family members, including his younger brother James Biden, sister Valerie Biden Owens, sister-in-law Sara Jones Biden, brother-in-law John T. Owens, and another brother, Francis W. Biden, in the final minutes of his presidency.
What he said: Biden stated that the pardons were motivated by his family being subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats driven by political motives.
- He emphasized that the pardons do not imply acknowledgment of any wrongdoing on the part of his family members and should not be interpreted as an admission of guilt.
- “I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics,” Biden said in a statement. “But 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 will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage their reputations and finances,” Biden said.
- Biden continued, “The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that they engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense.”
Driving the news: The controversial pardons came after Biden had previously pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, in early December for tax evasion and federal gun charges, despite his initial statements that he did not plan to do so.
Zoom in: The pardon for James Biden, especially, drew criticism and calls from congressional Republicans for potential prosecution related to alleged false statements made to Congress as part of an impeachment inquiry into the outgoing president and his family.
- While James and Sara Biden’s attorney asserted that they have never committed any crimes and did not seek the pardon, they accepted it due to the circumstances described by the President.
- The pardon warrant, signed on January 19, pardoned the family members for any nonviolent offenses against the United States that they may have committed between January 1, 2014, and the date of the pardon.