Joe Biden Quietly Pardoned Several Loved Ones Minutes Before Donald Trump Took Presidential Oath

Mar. 15, 2025

Former President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden.Photo:Jim Lo Scalzo/UPI/Shutterstock

Jim Lo Scalzo/UPI/Shutterstock

In the waning moments of his presidency,Joe Bidenissued preemptive pardons for his loved ones.

Biden added that he was “exercising” his power under the Constitution to pardon his siblings and their spouses: brother James B. Biden and his wife Sara Jones Biden, sister Valerie Biden Owens and her husband John T. Owens and brother Francis W. Biden.

“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,” Biden said.

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The last-minute pardons come on the heels of another set that Biden issued early Monday morning for high-profile figures whom President Donald Trump has publicly spoken out against.

Others who made it onto Biden’s list of presidential pardons included members who served on the House committee that investigated theJan. 6 attack on the Capitol, including former RepresentativeLiz Cheney, Sen.Adam Schiff,former RepresentativeAdam Kinzingeras well as Capitol and Washington D.C. police who testified.

Trump later shared a statement with NBC News via text, tellingMeet the Press' Kristen Welker, “It is disgraceful. Many are guilty of major crimes.”

Biden’s decision is viewed as a guard against any acts of potential revenge from the Trump administration.

“Our nation relies on dedicated selfless public servants every day,” Biden shared in a statement explaining his preemptive pardons. “They are the lifeblood of our democracy yet alarmingly public servants have been subjected to ongoing threats and intimidation for faithfully discharging their duties.”

“Our nation,” Biden added, “owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country.”

source: people.com