Biden pardoned his family in his final moments in office

President Joe Biden on Monday issued a preemptive pardon to three of his siblings and two of their wives, citing concerns that they would be the targets of “baseless and politically motivated investigations.”

The The White House announced the pardon a few minutes before the president-elect Donald Trump entered the rotunda of the Capitol to be sworn in as the next Commander-in-Chief.

Earlier Monday, Biden preemptively pardoned a number of other figures – including Dr. Anthony Fauci, gen. Mark Milley and members of Congress who investigated Capitol riot on January 6 — on similar grounds.

The latest batch of Biden pardons included his brother, James Biden; James’ wife Sarah Jones Biden; his younger sister, Valerie Biden Owens; Owens’ husband, John Owens; and his other brother, Francis Biden.

“The granting of a pardon should not be construed as an admission that they have engaged in any wrongdoing, and the acceptance should not be misconstrued as an admission of guilt of any crime,” Biden said in a press release.

He also pardoned Gerald Lundergan, former chairman of the Kentucky Democratic Party, and former South Carolina Assemblyman Ernest Cromartie. The outgoing president also commuted the life sentence of Leonard Peltier, who was convicted of murdering two FBI agents in 1975.

Biden pardoned his son in early December Hunter Bidenreversing his earlier demand not to do so.

Hunter was convicted last year in a federal criminal trial on gun charges and pleaded guilty in a separate federal case related to tax crimes.

James Biden was questioned last year by the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees as part of the impeachment inquiry into President Biden.

In a press release Monday, Biden said, “My family has been subjected to relentless attacks and threats motivated solely by the desire to hurt me — the worst kind of partisan politics. Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe that 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,” he said.

“But baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety and financial security of individuals and their families. Even if people have done nothing wrong and are ultimately exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can cause irreparable damage to their reputations and finances.”

“That’s why I’m using my authority under the Constitution to pardon James B. Biden, Sarah Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John T. Owens and Francis W. Biden,” said Biden.