Biden Pardons Anthony Fauci, Mark Milley, Liz Cheney and Other J6 Select Committee Figures

In the last hours of serving as the 46th president, Joe Biden issued a preemptive pardon to several political figures at risk of “retribution” under the second Trump administration.

With President-elect Donald Trump set to take the oath of office just four hours later, the Biden White House released a statement detailing recipients of a preemptive pardon, which included his former Chief Medical Advisor Anthony Fauci, former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley  and “the members and staff of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.”

“Our nation relies on dedicated, selfless public servants every day. They are the lifeblood of our democracy,” Biden’s statement begins. “Yet alarmingly, public servants have been subjected to ongoing threats and intimidation for faithfully discharging their duties.”

The statement details the stunning career achievements of both Milley and Fauci. It warns, “Baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety, and financial security of targeted individuals and their families.” He then explains his actions: “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.

Members of the select committee that seemed most likely to enjoy the benefits of the pardon are those who were most vocal critics of Trump, namely former Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Bennie Thompson, who co-chaired the investigation into the events of January 6th and Trump’s actions on that fateful day. Trump accused Cheney of “egregious acts of crime” and fanned the flames of a criminal investigation just recently.

Regarding a pardon, Thompson recently told CBS News “”If that is something that’s offered to me, I will accept it. Because there are a lot of people who take this person at his word, and I don’t want him to weaponize government against people for doing their job.”

Read the full statement below:

Statement from President Joe Biden

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.

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