In his final hours in office, President Joe Biden issued preemptive pardons to Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, and members of the Jan. 6 committee, citing the need to protect them from potential “revenge” by the incoming Trump administration.

Biden’s decision follows Trump’s threats of retaliation against those who held him accountable for the 2021 Capitol attack and his election loss.

Biden emphasized the pardons do not imply guilt, praising the recipients for their public service.

Fauci, a target of right-wing anger during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Milley, who criticized Trump’s actions during the Jan. 6 insurrection, were among those pardoned.

Biden also granted clemency to Capitol police officers and committee members like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger.

Breaking with norms, Biden defended the pardons as necessary to prevent reputational and financial harm from politically motivated investigations, the Associated Press has reported.

He also commuted sentences for thousands of nonviolent drug offenders and converted federal death row sentences to life imprisonment, reflecting his concerns about Trump’s past use of the death penalty.

Written by B.C. Begley