Outgoing US President Joe Biden is considering preemptively pardoning critics of his successor Donald Trump, multiple people familiar with the discussions have told CBS, the BBC’s US partner.
It’s an effort to protect them from retaliation after Trump – who has vowed revenge on those who oppose him – takes office.
CBS reported that although Biden reportedly debated the possibility of issuing a pardon with senior White House aides, no specific name was officially proposed to him.
Sources told AFP that officials are also considering what message to send to pardon those who have not committed crimes.
That was after the surrounding controversy Biden unconditionally pardons Hunter’s sonwho faces sentencing this month on gun and tax charges.
Republicans and some Democrats criticized the move, which came after the president previously said he would not take such a step.
US media reported that those who could be pardoned in advance by Biden could include Dr Anthony Fauci, who has criticized Trump’s Covid response, and California Senator-elect Adam Schiff, who is leading the effort. First impeachment against Trump.
Other Democrats, like Schiff, had a role in Trump’s impeachment cases or who investigated the case 2021 US Capitol Riotscan also be issued to them.
In an interview with NPR last month, Schiff said he didn’t think preemptive pardons were a good idea because he believed the courts were capable of resisting threats from Donald Trump.
“I think this is really so absurd that it doesn’t deserve much consideration,” he said of reports that such a pardon was being considered.
“I urge the president not to do that. I think it seems defensive and unnecessary.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said earlier this week that President Biden will likely receive more pardons before the end of his term in January but did not provide further details.
“He’s thinking very carefully about that process.”
Among those who could receive a more traditional presidential pardon for past crimes are non-violent drug offenders or others who have served sentences for multiple crimes, CBS reported. different.
Donald Trump is not the only one threatening punishment to those who have allegedly opposed him in the past. FBI director nominee Kash Patel says he will go after politicians and members of the media who he accuses without evidence of helping overturn the 2020 US presidential election results .
“We will come after you, whether it is criminal or civil,” Patel said.
“We’ll figure that out. But yeah, we’re putting you all on notice… We’re actually going to use the Constitution to prosecute them for the crimes they say we’ve always committed but never committed a crime.”
Democratic Congressman Brendan Boyle responded that he thinks Biden should issue a blanket pardon to those targeting what he called Donald Trump’s “enemies list.”
“By selecting Kash Patel as FBI Director, Trump has made clear that he is more focused on solving personal problems than protecting the American people or maintaining the rule of law,” Boyle said.
