President Joe Biden on Monday issued a preemptive pardon to Dr. Anthony Fauci, among other potential Trump targets, though claimed it should not be “misconstrued as an admission of guilt”. ABC News has more.
“Our nation relies on dedicated, selfless public servants every day. They are the lifeblood of our democracy,” Biden said in a statement just hours before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office.
“Yet alarmingly, public servants have been subjected to ongoing threats and intimidation for faithfully discharging their duties,” Biden added.
Trump in his 2024 campaign repeatedly vowed “retribution” on his political enemies, specifically singling out lawmakers like Liz Cheney who investigated the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump said Cheney and other committee members should be put in jail.
Milley, who retired as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2023, has long been a target of Republican attacks over the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. Fauci, the former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has been a lightning rod for criticism over the federal Government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. …
Fauci told ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl he accepted the pardon and is grateful for it.
“I really truly appreciate the action President Biden has taken today on my behalf,” Fauci said. “Let me be perfectly clear, Jon, I have committed no crime, you know that, and there are no possible grounds for any allegation or threat of criminal investigation or prosecution of me.”
But Fauci said the threats and possibility of prosecution “creates immeasurable and intolerable distress on me and my family”.
ABC News reported in early December that Biden was considering such an action, days after he issued a full pardon for his son, Hunter Biden. In an exit interview with USA Today earlier this month, Biden signalled he was still wrestling with the decision.
Some Democrats argued against preemptive pardons, including Sen. Adam Schiff, who served on the House January 6th Committee.
“The precedent of giving blanket pardons, preemptive blanket pardons on the way out of an administration, I think is a precedent we don’t want to set,” Schiff said on ABC’s This Week in December.
In issuing the pardons, Biden added:
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 offence. Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country.
Worth reading in full.
Alex Berenson previously noted that this will only make it harder to get to the truth about Covid’s origin, furthering eroding the public’s trust in state institutions:
Despite years of Congressional inquiries into Fauci, Daszak, and Covid’s origins, stonewalling by the National Institutes of Health means that we still do not know exactly what Fauci knew or suspected about Covid’s origins. A criminal investigation that carries the real possibility of prosecution or prison time is our last, best hope to get to the full truth.
If Biden makes that investigation impossible, Americans will become even more distrustful of the public health mandarins who brought us Covid lockdowns and mRNA vaccine mandates.
As they should.
Following Trump’s election victory in November, Elon Musk reaffirmed that his “pronouns are still prosecute/Fauci“.
On Substack, virologist Alex Washburne sets out why Fauci should have been very worried by the prospect of the criminal investigation he now appears to have dodged:
In 2017, DARPA organized a grant call – the PREEMPT call – aiming to preempt pathogen spillover from wildlife to people. In 2018 a newly formed collaborative group of scientists from the US, Singapore, and Wuhan wrote a grant – the DEFUSE grant – proposing to modify a bat sarbecovirus in Wuhan in a very unusual way. DARPA did not fund the team because their work was too risky for the Department of Defence, but in 2019 Fauci’s NIAID funded this exact set of scientists who never wrote a paper together prior nor since. In late 2019, SARS-CoV-2 emerged in Wuhan with the precise modifications proposed in the DEFUSE grant submitted to PREEMPT.
It’s reasonable to be concerned that this line of research funded by Fauci’s NIAID may have caused the pandemic. In fact, if we’re sharp-pencilled and honest with our probabilities, it’s likely beyond reasonable doubt that SARS-CoV-2 emerged as a consequence of research proposed in DEFUSE. What we don’t know, however, is whether the research proceeded with US involvement or not.
Congress used their constitutionally granted investigation and oversight responsibilities to investigate and oversee NIAID in search of answers. In the process of these investigations, they found endless pages of emails with unjustified redactions, evidence that Fauci’s FOIA lady could “make emails disappear”, Fauci’s right-hand-man David Morens aided the DEFUSE authors as they navigated disciplinary measures at NIH and NIAID, and there were significant concerns that NIAID sought to obstruct investigations and destroy federal records.
Such obstructive actions did not inspire confidence in the innocence of Anthony Fauci or the US scientists he funded in 2019. On the contrary, Fauci testified twice under oath saying NIAID did not fund gain of function research of concern in Wuhan… but then we discovered a 2018 progress report of research NIAID funded in Wuhan revealing research they funded had enhanced the transmissibility of a bat SARS-related coronavirus 10,000-times higher than the wild virus. That is, indisputably, gain of function research of concern. Fauci thus lied to the American public and perjured himself in his testimony to congress, and Senator Rand Paul has referred Fauci’s perjury charges to the Department of Justice.
What was NIAID trying to preempt with their obstruction of congressional investigations? What is Biden trying to preempt with his pardon of Fauci? Why do we not have the 2019 NIAID progress report from the PI’s who submitted DEFUSE to PREEMPT and later received funding from NIAID?
It is deplorable for Biden to preemptively pardon Fauci on his last day in office, with so little known about the research NIAID funded in 2019 and voters so clearly eager to learn more. …
A preemptive pardon prior to the discovery of truth is a fancy name for obstruction of justice. The Biden administration’s dying breath must be challenged, and we must allow Congress and the incoming administration to investigate the possibility that Anthony Fauci’s NIAID supported research that caused the COVID-19 pandemic.
Washburne’s article is worth reading in full.
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They are all crooks (Biden, Daszak, Fauci). If Fauci were innocent, he would have sued RFK Jn. for libel a long time ago for his book “The Real Anthony Fauci”.
Don’t forget to mention Gates, who is also named in the title of the book. It is a real eye-opener, dealing with their misdeeds over many years.
Yes, sorry, I should have put ‘…’ after Fauci. There are so many, in so many countries.
The BBC were talking about RFK before on Radio Four. They mentioned RFKs history with vaccines and the Bio Labs in Ukraine with Tucker Carlson mentioned. Trying to gaslight the public that they’re a bunch of tinfoil nut jobs. But anyone that just watches the BBC will be oblivious to Bio Labs and many other things. No doubt a limited hangout because all this will be common knowledge before long.
I am not sure I share your optimism with regard to ‘common knowledge’ but I certainly hope you are right.
FFS!
It is an extraordinary use of Presidential powers that limit the powers and pursuit of justice of the incoming President. It should therefore, not be allowed.
Imagine the out going President pardons a mass murderer of men women and children as well as harming the health of millions, upon millions, of millions more. People want justice and expect the new President to have the powers to pursue it.
The precedent is set. Do whatever you want and pardon everyone at the end of your term.
Trump should play to this. Keep on with snide comments about Biden’s blanket pardon and say he’ll do it too.
It’s clearly being abused and needs to go.
A clearer indication of Fauci’s culpability for the biggest shit show in U.S. and world history could not be required; plain as a pikestaff.
Fauci condemned out of the mouth of one of the worst Presidents that America has ever had the misfortune under which to suffer.
He will not escape punishment, be it in this world or the next.
Farrar, Whitty, Vallance, Drosten and Ferguson, the well named Hancock, the Johnsons, have not been pardoned…..
The principle in US law (as here) is that to accept a pardon is an admission of guilt (contra, to plead not guilty is to waive the pardon). Pardons are like deeds, and acceptance can be refused as per U.S. v. Wilson [1833]. This all made for a good plot point in the Aubrey-Maturin series.
Of course, Biden also claimed the 28th Amendment exists.
Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the US constitution states “The President … shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment”.
The Supreme Court defined this power as “the broad power conferred in the Constitution gives the President plenary authority to ‘forgive’ [a] convicted person in part or entirely, to reduce a penalty in terms of a specified number of years, or to alter it with certain conditions. The Supreme Court refined this by saying that “it prevents or removes any of the penalties and disabilities consequent upon conviction”.
This means that Constitution doesn’t grant pre-emptive pardons.
That’s incorrect. In Ex parte Garland the Court said the president can exercise the pardon power “either before legal proceedings are taken, or during their pendency, or after conviction and judgment.”
Thanks for that correction.
Hmm, is that how it has been interpreted?
This seems like relevant text:
“154
The power thus conferred is unlimited, with the exception stated. It extends to every offence known to the law, and may be exercised at any time after its commission, either before legal proceedings are taken, or during their pendency, or after conviction and judgment. This power of the President is not subject to legislative control. Congress can neither limit the effect of his pardon, nor exclude from its exercise any class of offenders. The benign prerogative of mercy reposed in him cannot be fettered by any legislative restrictions.
155
Such being the case, the inquiry arises as to the effect and operation of a pardon, and on this point all the authorities concur. A pardon reaches both the punishment prescribed for the offence and the guilt of the offender; and when the pardon is full, it releases the punishment and blots out of existence the guilt, so that in the eye of the law the offender is as innocent as if he had never committed the offence. If granted before conviction, it prevents any of the penalties and disabilities consequent upon conviction from attaching; if granted after conviction, it removes the penalties and disabilities, and restores him to all his civil rights; it makes him, as it were, a new man, and gives him a new credit and capacity.”
It keeps referring to an offence or offences. My interpretation is that the intention is for the pardon to apply to a specific offence or offences, or allegations of such. The wording above doesn’t suggest to me a blanket pardon for offences unknown.
Ex parte Garland involved completely different circumstances and dates from 1866. It could be overturned.
The problem here is that a crime necessarily involves a factual basis for the crime. Courts won’t accept a guilty plea unless there is a factual basis, in fact this is part of the plea hearing.
However, it has never been the case that a pardon has to specify the factual basis of the crime, or else it could be challenged on a factual basis, which could be determined by a jury.
A pardon is something that completely bypasses judge (the finder of law) and jury (the finder of fact).
Pre-emptive pardons are secure because they rest upon the sovereign power of the state, not upon matters of law or fact. They can be waived by a not guilty plea, but when invoked they are inviolable.
I think that Nixon was given a pre-emptive pardon
The pardon itself proves the responsibility lies with gain of function research largely funded by Fauci’s department and released by incompetence or malice in China. If that was not so no pardon could possibly be required.
I thought a Presidential Pardon was if you’re already in the nick, didn’t know the sly wan*ers could do it preemptively!
Good video from Ivor Cummins with Dr Dave Martin regarding the [plan]demic!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5yQjTX8CQA
Thanks for that link.
Whatever. Yesterday’s Gone for Sleepy Joe, Fraudci, EcoBucks, Handcock, UnWhitteringly, Lord Sir Sir and the rest, and the hour belongs to The Don.
He’s back!
I expect we could charge him under UK law and seek extradition for high crimes. That would mean taking to a criminal prosecution many UK citizens: Ministers, civil servants (sic) and independent (sic) advisers.
These agendas have been playing out for decades and Fauci has been a part of them for all of his life. Great evils were committed long before 2020. We would never have learned about them perhaps if it wasn’t for the pandemic, Fauci’s creation of the AIDS crisis for example. I do not see a happy trajectory for Fauci regardless of what happens with the law.
This nastiness needs to be dismantled slowly so that the understanding of the evil lingers like a defining myth for the future. So let the whole Ahrimanic agenda reveal itself in due course. Consider how far we have come in terms of depth and numbers. There has to be this slow revealing.
I don’t see why this should hamper the truth being found out. If Fauci cannot be sent to prison for his crime, then by extension he cannot plead the fifth and can thus be required to provide the full truth to any court that requests it, or otherwise be in contempt of court.
The benefit of the US system is that he can be brought before a Congressional Committee and questioned and when he lies he is guilty of an offence. I believe he has already lied to them.
The US should learn from us and hoof the loser out of the White House the next morning and stop all this months of delay. I know that they will have to put an end to all the DemoTwat election fraud where the counts are extended while they print the extra votes they need.
If a new enquiry was held in to covid origins then Fauci’s pardon could be helpful in that he could be subpeonered to give evidence. While ever he tells the truth his immunity would hold, but if he lies or obfuscates then he could be prosecuted for that. He might just decide to save his own skin and squeal like the tiny rat he is. We would be closer to the truth, while Daszak and many others would be in much more jeopardy of prosecution.
I understand that the SCOTUS has in the past determined that,in the event of a Presidential Pardon being issued, the recipient has to specifically accept it for it to be valid. And additionally once issued and accepted, that a presumption of guilt has been definitely established.
A bit of a dilemma for these guys?
Fauci deserves to have his reputation shredded, and live out the last few remaining years of his life in disgrace. He doesn’t need to be put in prison (as much as that might be justified).
Biden also pardoned his own family. Claiming its to protect them against politicised legal action is hypocritical even for a politician, given what they did to Trump over the last 4 years
I cannot understand how such a pardon can be legal.
In an extreme case that could mean a president gets criminals to do the dirty work and pardons them before it gets to a trial.
Seems really odd to me.
My understanding is that the pardon only covers federal law. There will no doubt be plenty of state laws that Fauci also broke.
The Democrat Party control group is afraid that the new administration will use politicized lawfare just like they used for the last 8 years against Trump. Preemptive pardons are illegal and should be challenged in the courts.
As far as I can tel Fauci was responsible for the designing of the Covid virus intended as a chemical weapon. He was probably pardoned because he was acting in conjuncion with the US military or under its instructions. As for that despicable creature Gates, he is just supporting anything that is against mankind and is an evil influence in the world.