By Doina Chiacu, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali and Nandita Bose

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Joe Biden issued a preemptive pardon on Monday for some of his family members and people targeted by his successor Donald Trump for retaliation, including former Republican lawmaker Liz Cheney and Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The pardons, issued in Biden’s last hours as president, cover the select committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, invasion of the US Capitol by Trump supporters, as well as all the lawmakers , including Cheney, who served on congressional and police committees. officers testifying before it. They also include Anthony Fauci, who served as the White House’s chief medical adviser during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump, who was sworn in as president on Monday, has repeatedly called for the prosecution of his perceived enemies since winning the White House in November.

Biden praised public servants as “the lifeblood of our democracy.” Without mentioning Trump, he expressed alarm that some of them have been subjected to threats and intimidation for doing their jobs.

“These public servants have served our country with honor and distinction and should not be the target of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions,” Biden said in a statement.

Before handing over office to Trump, Biden also pardoned five members of his family, saying he wanted to protect them from politically motivated investigations.

He pardoned his brothers – James Biden, Frank Biden and Valerie Biden Owens – as well as their spouses, John Owens and Sara Biden.

“My family has been subjected to relentless attacks and threats, motivated only by a desire to hurt me — the worst kind of partisan politics,” Biden said. “Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe that these attacks will end.”

Last December, Biden forgave his son Hunter after repeatedly saying he wouldn’t. Hunter is a recovering drug addict who has been targeted by Republicans and has pleaded guilty to tax violations and been convicted of firearms-related charges.

Biden also commuted the life sentence imposed on Native American activist Leonard Peltier, who was imprisoned for nearly five decades for the 1975 killing of two FBI agents.

The US Constitution gives a president broad pardon powers for federal offenses. While pardons are usually granted to people who have been charged, they can cover conduct that does not result in legal proceedings.

“This is shameful. Many are guilty of MAJOR CRIMES! DJT” NBC reporter Kristen Welker quoted Trump as saying to him in a text message. Trump made the comment before Biden issued a last-minute pardon to his family members.

Trump in December backed the FBI’s call to investigate Cheney for his role in leading the congressional investigation into the January 6 attack.

Cheney and Democratic Representative Bennie Thompson, the vice chairs of the committee, expressed gratitude to Biden for recognizing the threats and harassment they and their families suffered.

“We have been pardoned today not for breaking the law but for upholding it,” they said in a statement.

Fauci has often clashed with Trump during the pandemic, and Trump supporters have continued to attack the former senior health official.

Fauci told Reuters that the White House reached out about the issue a month ago and he did not apologize. “I appreciate the president coming forward and trying to protect me from baseless accusations,” Fauci said. “I have done nothing wrong and this is not an admission of any guilt.”

Milley, who was Trump’s top military adviser between 2019 and early 2021, said in a statement that he was “very grateful” for Biden’s pardon.

‘EXCEPTIONAL circumstances’

Trump’s rivalry with Milley runs wild.

After the January 6 attack, Milley called Beijing to reassure China of US stability. Trump, in a post on social media, described the phone call as “an act so serious that, in times gone by, the penalty was DEATH.”

Some of Trump’s supporters, who saw Milley as disloyal, demanded that he be recalled to active duty and tried for treason.

Milley took a veiled jab at Trump during his 2023 retirement speech, saying that US troops swear an oath to the US Constitution and not a “wannabe dictator.”

Trump later hit her with a series of insults, calling Milley “slow moving and thinking” and a “moron.”

Milley is quoted in the book “War” by Bob Woodward (NASDAQ: ), published last year, calling Trump a “fascist to the core,” and Trump allies targeting him for perceived disloyalty to Trump.

Reuters reported in November that Trump’s transition team had drawn up a list of military officials seen as connected to Milley to be fired.

Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, repeatedly hammered Milley in his latest book, using expletives.

Biden praised Milley and Fauci as longtime dedicated public servants who defend democracy and save lives. He said that the select committee established to investigate the January 6 attack carried out its mission with integrity.

Without identifying individuals, he pardoned all members of Congress who served on the panel, their staff and the US Capitol and Washington, DC, police officers who testified before the committee.

Biden said those pardoned have done nothing wrong, but simply investigating or prosecuting would damage reputations and finances.

“I believe in the rule of law, and I am hopeful that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics,” he said. “But these are extraordinary circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience.”

The pardons of Cheney, Milley and Fauci drew criticism from Trump allies including US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who told X the officials were pardoned “because they were GUILTY OF CRIMES.”