President Biden on Monday pardoned truth-challenged former chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, embattled retired General Mark Milley, and members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol — just hours before President-elect Donald Trump was due to be sworn in as the 47th commander-in-chief.
“I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics,” Biden said in a statement. “But these are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing.”
Biden, 82, lauded the nation’s “dedicated, selfless public servants,” but noted they have been subjected to “ongoing threats and intimidation for faithfully discharging their duties.”
“In certain cases, some have even been threatened with criminal prosecutions, including General Mark A. Milley, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, and the members and staff of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol,” the outgoing leader said.
Meanwhile, Fauci, who served as Biden’s chief medical advisor until his retirement in 2022, drew ire when he repeatedly dismissed the theory that COVID-19 virus most likely leaked from a Chinese lab.
Biden also extended pardons to members of the Jan. 6 committee, which includes former Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, both Republicans, as well as the US Capitol and DC Metropolitan police officers who testified before the committee.
