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Fauci served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease for decades. Alamy

Biden issues preemptive pardon for his siblings, their spouses and Dr Anthony Fauci

The pardons come as incoming President Donald Trump vowed to take retribution against outspoken critics of his.

OUTGOING US PRESIDENT Joe Biden issued preemptive pardons to Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US medical expert during the covid-19 pandemic, and members of his family just hours before he left the Oval Office.

It comes as incoming President Donald Trump vowed to take retribution against outspoken critics of his and as Biden prepares to leave office.

This morning Biden issued pardons to Fauci, the government committee investigating the 6 January 2021 US Capitol riot and General Mark A Milley, a former joint chief-of-staff of the US military.

He said they were issued under “exceptional circumstances”, as he felt compelled to protect the public servants. 

Hours later, Biden pardoned his siblings and their spouses – stating his family had been “subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me — the worst kind of partisan politics”.

“Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end,” he said in a statement just minutes before Trump was sworn into office in Washington DC this afternoon.

General Milley was a vocal critic of Trump and condemned the new President following the Capitol riot in 2021.

Every committee member, witness, staff member and participant in the committee tasked with investigating Trump’s role in events of that day have also been pardoned. 

Biden said: “Baseless and politically-motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety, and financial security of targeted individuals and their families.”

Fauci, a medical expert who served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease for decades, including during the outbreak of Covid in Trump’s first presidency. He has been subject to intense criticism from the political right.

Speaking to The Journal last year, Fauci maintained that he “steadfastly avoided” making political statements and claimed he neutrally navigated his role during the covid-19 pandemic the same way he conducted himself since first taking the role under Reagan.

He was, however, sharply critical of Trump during the discussion, claiming that the former President denied the seriousness of the novel viral disease, resulting in lost time. He added that Trump “failed to be a leader” at the beginning of the pandemic.

The pardons are an extreme flex of power by an outgoing President. 

“Out nation relies on dedicated, selfless public servants every day,” Biden said before confirming the pardons.

“They are the lifeblood out our democracy. Yet alarmingly, public servants have been subjected to ongoing threats and intimidation for faithfully discharging their duties.”

Biden has spent his last days in the White House urging the public to remain vigilant during Trump’s second term – warning citizens in the final speech of a ‘dangerous oligarchy’ of power and wealth taking hold in the United States.

Pardons are commonly issued to those who are accused, and found guilty, of wrongdoing. Many recepitricants of clemency could question the necessity of the move – given they all reject any claims of wrongdoing and have not been charged with crimes.

Trump is due to be sworn in as the 47th President this afternoon and could sign dozens of executive orders upon his appointment, including to overturn Biden’s migration policies and to pardon those accused of crimes during the Capitol riots. 

Speaking this afternoon, following his inauguration, Trump refused to go into detail about the pardons issued by the former President before leaving office, but claimed that it was “unfortunate that he did that”.

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