'I am exercising my power under the Constitution to pardon James B. Biden, Sara Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John T. Owens, and Francis W. Biden,' reads a last-minute White House press release from Joe Biden.
(LifeSiteNews) -- Now former U.S. President Joe Biden preemptively pardoned his siblings just minutes before his presidency ended Monday with the swearing in of Donald Trump.
"My family has 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," Biden wrote, according to a White House press release.
"I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics. But baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety, and financial security of targeted individuals and their families. Even when individuals have done nothing wrong and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage their reputations and finances," he continued.
"That is why I am exercising my power under the Constitution to pardon James B. Biden, Sara Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John T. Owens, and 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," he added.
Before leaving office Monday, Biden seemed intent on making a number of preemptive, personal pardons.
Among those issued pardons preemptively are COVID-era chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, General Mark Milley, who oversaw the deadly withdrawal of the U.S. military from Afghanistan, and members of the January 6 committee Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger.
