Biden pardons Fauci, Milley to guard against Don's 'revenge'

Pardons announced just hours ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration lays the groundwork for an even more expansive use of remission by future presidents

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OUTGOING President Joe Biden on Monday pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley and members of the House committee that investigated the January 6 attack on the Capitol, in an extraordinary use of the powers of the presidency in his final hours to guard against potential "revenge" by the incoming Trump administration.

The decision by Biden comes after Donald Trump warned of an enemy list filled with those who have crossed him politically or sought to hold him accountable for his attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss and his role in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump has selected Cabinet nominees who backed his election lies and who have pledged to punish those involved in efforts to investigate him.

"The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense," Biden said in a statement. "Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country."