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It is a shame that it had to come to this, but in his final moments in office, President Biden announced:
I am issuing pardons to Gerald G. Lundergan and Ernest William Cromartie. I am also commuting the life sentence imposed on Leonard Peltier so that he serves the remainder of his sentence in home confinement.
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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.
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.
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.
The commutation and release of Peltier is something that advocates have been attempting to secure for decades.
The pardons for President Biden’s family are something that may outrage the right, but it is an action that I think is sad.
It is sad that America will now have a president who can’t be trusted not to use the power of the executive branch to attack his political rivals or to seek revenge for the legal actions that were taken him while he was out of office.
President Biden and his family should have been able to leave the public eye in peace.
Biden has had a nearly unmatched half-century political career. He should have been able to enjoy the final moments of his presidency instead of worrying about what Trump might do to his family.
What do you think about President Biden preemptively pardoning his family? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
