White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Friday would not rule out the idea of President Biden issuing preemptive pardons on behalf of his allies before he leaves the Oval Office next month.
The press secretary’s comments come as media reports have indicated the White House is privately weighing whether to issue preemptive pardons to several Biden allies, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, and retired General Mark Milley, who served as the joint chiefs of staff under Trump’s first administration.
Biden’s aides are reportedly concerned that President-elect Donald Trump could weaponize his power to exact revenge on his political enemies. This has led the advisers — including White House counsel Ed Siskel and chief of staff Jeff Zients — to the highly unusual decision to consider offering pardons to people who are not currently being either investigated or charged with crimes — a test of the president’s executive pardoning power.
Last week, Biden announced he had decided to pardon his son, Hunter, after repeated guarantees that he would not do so. Biden had been so busy with that pardon, that he has not been a part of discussions over whether he should use his presidential powers to preemptively pardon Trump’s enemies, according to Politico.
Jean-Pierre said Friday that Biden had made the decision to pardon his son because “circumstances have changed.”
“Recently announced Trump appointees for law enforcement have said on the campaign that they were out for retribution,” she said.
Trump said back in March that Cheney “should go to Jail along with the rest of the Unselect Committee!”
Biden’s decision to pardon his son came despite at least ten guarantees from the president and his White House that he was not planning to pardon Hunter, who was found guilty in June on three felony charges for federal gun violations and pleaded guilty in September in a separate felony tax case.
“From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,” Biden said in a statement on Sunday explaining his decision.
He went on to claim it was “clear that Hunter was treated differently,” in both cases.