Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies to the House Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on June 3, 2024.
In a last minute move, with clear motivation to take one final poke at his successor, President Joe Biden preemptively pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, and a slew of individuals involved in the January 6 select committee investigation.
With Donald Trump being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States today, Biden, in his final official act, preemptively pardoned these individuals.
"Our nation relies on dedicated, selfless public servants every day. They are the lifeblood of our democracy," Biden said in a statement released just hours before the swearing in of Trump. "Yet alarmingly, public servants have been subjected to ongoing threats and intimidation for faithfully discharging their duties."
As to the J6 Committee, the statement also read that the pardon applies to "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."
Biden has been on a pardoning spree at the end of his term, with several of his pardons sparking controversy, starting with the pardoning of his son Hunter Biden, and carrying through to the final hours of his presidency with preemptive pardons on Monday.
