Joe Biden pardons family members in final act as US president

Outgoing US president Joe Biden in his final act in office, issues pardons to his family members

Updated on: Jan 20, 2025, 22:38:31 IST

By HT News Desk

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Outgoing US president Joe Biden in his final act in office, issued pardons to his family members, AP reported.

Biden issued pardons to his siblings and their spouses, saying his family had 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,” he added.

Donald Trump inauguration LIVE updates

Those pardoned are his two brothers James and Francis. Also on the list are Sara, the wife of James Biden, Biden's sister Valerie and her husband John.

ALSO READ: The tragic end of the Biden presidency

US President Joe Biden gestures as he delivers his farewell address to the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC. (AFP)

Biden commutes life sentence of activist convicted of killing 2 FBI agents

Ahead of leaving the White House, Biden commuted the life sentence of indigenous activist Leonard Peltier, who was convicted in the 1975 killings of two FBI agents.

ALSO READ: Biden’s two-word message to Trump as he greets president-elect at White House

According to AP, Peltier was denied parole as recently as July and wasn’t eligible for parole again until 2026. He was serving life in prison for the deaths of the agents during a standoff on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. He will transition to home confinement, Biden said in a statement.

Biden pardons government officials

Earlier in the day, Biden granted preemptive pardons to leading government officials that President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to punish, fending off potential retribution by his successor against those he has labeled as political enemies.

Those pardoned include retired General Mark Milley, infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci, and members of Congress and staff who served on the select committee which investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol and recommended that Trump be prosecuted for his role in the insurrection.

Those on the panel included Liz Cheney, a former Wyoming Republican congresswoman who helped lead the investigation, and now-Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California who also led the prosecution in Trump’s first impeachment trial, Bloomberg reported.

The chair of the panel was Representative Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat. Former Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, along with Cheney, were the only Republicans on the committee.

(With agency inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
HT News Desk
Follow the latest breaking news, major developments and agenda-setting stories from India and around the world with the newsdesk at Hindustan Times. Operating round the clock, the desk brings together experienced editors, reporters and correspondents to deliver fast, accurate and contextual reporting across subjects that influence public policy, governance, business, society and international affairs. The HT News Desk covers politics, elections, government policies, the economy, business and markets, science and technology, the environment, law and order, infrastructure, education, climate issues and geopolitics, while closely tracking developments across states, institutions and global capitals. The team also leads coverage of major breaking news events, policy announcements, court proceedings, natural disasters, public emergencies and significant international developments. Reports published by the newsdesk are based on information gathered from reporters on the ground, official statements, government agencies, court records, regulatory filings, recognised institutions and other authoritative sources. Stories undergo editorial scrutiny and verification processes to ensure accuracy, fairness and relevance, and are updated as events evolve and additional information becomes available. Whether covering a key political decision in New Delhi, an economic policy shift affecting millions, a landmark court ruling or a major global event, the HT News Desk aims to provide readers with reliable, fact-based journalism that delivers not only the latest developments but also the context and analysis needed to understand their wider implications.Read More

Joe Biden

Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.