President Biden issued preemptive pardons Monday to former medical adviser Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark A. Milley and members of the House Select Committee on Jan. 6 to guard against retribution by incoming President Donald Trump.
Mr. Biden said the pardoned persons did not do anything wrong, but he feared Mr. Trump would prosecute them in a personal vendetta.
“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 offense,” Mr. Biden said in the waning hours of his term. “Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country.”