Before leaving office, former President Joe Biden granted pardons to several prominent figures, a move widely considered both strategic and shrewd in shielding them from potential actions under the Trump administration.
However, this decision carries significant risks and could potentially backfire.
The individuals who received pardons include Liz Cheney, a Republican congresswoman from Wyoming and co-chair of the January 6th Committee; Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leading infectious disease expert central to the COVID-19 response; and General Mark Milley, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In a statement released on Monday, Biden remarked, “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.”
Implication is that they needed the pardons… So, let’s call them all before Congress and demand the truth. If they refuse or lie – let’s test the constitutional “reach” of these pardons with regard to their future actions. https://t.co/Cu12JRTFhg
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) January 20, 2025
If Congress calls them to testify in the future, those who received clemency—among them President Biden’s siblings and their spouses—will lose the ability to invoke the Fifth Amendment as a defense.
“The pardons are actually great news. No one who was just pardoned will be able to refuse to testify in a civil, criminal, or congressional proceeding based upon the 5th Amendment. And let’s just be realistic. Most of these disgusting individuals would probably have to be charged in Washington, DC, which doesn’t convict partisan leftists,” federal litigation attorney Jesse Binnall pointed out on X.
Critics argue that these pardons could erode trust in the justice system.
The pardons are actually great news. No one who was just pardoned will be able to refuse to testify in a civil, criminal, or congressional proceeding based upon the 5th Amendment.
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