Posted on 01/08/2025 9:48:33 AM PST by Red Badger
The president had been reported to be considering issuing pardons to people who have not been charged with a crime.
President Joe Biden in a Jan. 5 interview confirmed that he is considering whether to issue preemptive pardons.
White House officials have said that Biden plans to issue additional pardons and commutations before his term ends.
Preemptive pardons would differ from those Biden has already issued and those issued by other presidents in their final days in office. They would protect people from prosecution for charges that have not yet been brought.
“Some of your supporters have encouraged you to issue preemptive pardons to people like Liz Cheney and Anthony Fauci ... will you do that?” USA TODAY’s Susan Page asked Biden during the interview.
The individuals suggested have drawn criticism from President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to take office again on Jan. 20.
Biden referenced a meeting with Trump at the White House in November 2024.
“I tried to make it clear that there was no need, and it was counterintuitive for his interest to go back and try to settle scores,” Biden said, recounting the conversation they had.
Trump did not respond directly to that advice, according to the president.
“He didn’t. But he didn’t say, ‘No, I’m going to...’ You know. He didn’t reinforce it. He just basically listened,” Biden said.
“So you haven’t decided yet. You’re still assessing this issue?” Page asked.
“No, I haven’t,” Biden responded. “A little bit of it depends on who he puts in what positions,” Biden said. The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment. Inquiries sent to the employers of Cheney and Fauci were not returned.
Biden in late 2024 pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, whom a jury convicted of federal gun charges and who pleaded guilty to intentionally failing to pay taxes. Biden later pardoned another 39 people and commuted the sentences of some 1,500 others, including 37 death row prisoners. One individual floated as a possible preemptive pardon candidate is Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state. Clinton, who mishandled confidential emails and whose campaign funded opposition research against Trump, was included in a list compiled by Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee for FBI director. The list, Patel has said, are participants in the so-called deep state. Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, has said that he does not think Biden should preemptively pardon his wife. “I hope he won’t do that,” he said during a recent television appearance on Dec. 11. A Clinton Foundation spokesperson did not return a request for comment. Biden this month awarded Cheney, who was mentioned during the interview, a Presidential Citizens Medal for her work as vice chair of a House panel that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Biden said Cheney and other former officials who received the medal in the ceremony had “dedicated their careers to serving our democracy” and “served in difficult times with honor, decency and ensure our democracy delivers.”
Nah, they need to pay a price. After 2020 and the bullshit that was done, folks need to be held to account. Letting it slide ensures others will do the same in the future.
How can you pardon someone for something they haven’t been convicted of yet?
Isn’t that just an admission of guilt of the parties involved?
Wonder what the going price of a pardon is.
The amount of misinformation on this thread is wild.
It’s like some of you don’t remember history.
There is no excuse for anyone to forget the infamous Nixon pardon. I can understand blacking out Carter era and the draft dodgers.
The pardon power is for the "Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States." One cannot "reprieve" something that hasn't happened yet, and one cannot reprieve and unspecified act. The same conditions must apply to the conjoined "pardons" as well.
-PJ
See the Burdick case quote on this thread.
Not legally.
In the minds of the public, quite possibly.
The draft dodgers broke the law.
...that won’t fly, the courts will shoot them down
Pardons can INCREASE legal jeopardy.
Hunter got a pardon.
But he can be put under oath by both congress and law enforcement entities to testify TRUTHFULLY about the crimes for which he was given immunity.
He CANNOT take the fifth amendment for crimes that he was given immunity from or pardoned of.
If he is caught in a lie, which would not be difficult given the history of lying in the Biden Crime family, he would be prosecuted for perjury.
If Fauci, Cheney, et al have committed no crimes, then why would they need preemptive pardons? Unless they are worried about a weaponized federal government pursing them to the ends of the earth...just like they did to Trump.
The big difference, of course, is that every charge levied against Trump was bogus false and had no basis in fact.
RE: Is that legal?
You can imagine the secret Biden handlers around a work table going over the pardons they’re going to tell Biden to okay.
“Is that legal?”
Others all laughing loudly.
“Hey, what do we got here, a standup comic? Aw, we’re so worried. Legal, shmeegal, we don’t care.”
More laughter.
‘ The draft dodgers broke the law.’
Um, I’m trying to understand what that is in response to. I mean, that’s the whole nature of a pardon. Their not being pardoned for farting in church.
Excellent point. Ford was concerned about the affect on the American public and the future Presidents more than his own political career---which was greatly harmed.
One interview I saw had Nixon saying he decided to resign because he heard from insiders that the Democrats were planning to go criminal against him in court. He didn't want the people to endure that.
It seems to me that it would be prudent to take away the pardon power for a defeated or termed president on election night. It would eliminate a lot of this last minute crap.
The new FBI and DOJ should investigate the entire Biden crime family, even if he issues pardons. The American people have a right to know how the scumbags harmed the nation. Biden’s criminal conduct will be his legacy.
Just remember that when Trump emerges from the Capitol onto the platform to take the oath, he is already President. They take the oath INSIDE before the ceremony. The outside ceremony is just for show.............
No.................
Nixon didn’t want a pardon. Ford saw the pardon acceptance as an admission of guilt.
Cheney and Fauci will be admitting to guilt if they take that pardon. Although I am sure they will frame it as trying to avoid unjust prosecution.
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