Investing.com -- President Joe Biden has exercised his constitutional authority to preemptively pardon several public servants who have been subjected to ongoing threats and intimidation for performing their duties. Those pardoned include Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, General Mark A. Milley, and the members and staff of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.
In preemptively pardoning Dr. Fauci, Biden said he has dedicated over half a century to serving the country. He has managed the government's response to major health crises, including COVID-19, HIV/AIDS, Ebola, and Zika viruses. As the President's Chief Medical (TASE:PMCN) Advisor, he has helped the country navigate a once-in-a-century pandemic, making the United States safer and healthier, Biden said. Dr. Fauci has been under pressure for handling COVID-19 and the vaccine mandates.
In preemptively pardoning General Milley, Biden said he has served the nation for over four decades, holding multiple leadership and command positions, and has been deployed to some of the most dangerous parts of the world to protect and defend democracy. As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he has guided the Armed Forces through various global security threats and has both strengthened existing alliances and forged new ones.
Biden noted the Select Committee was established by Congress to investigate the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol by a mob of insurrectionists. The committee has been committed to discovering the truth about the circumstances and causes of the insurrection. However, those involved in the January 6th attack have attempted to undermine and intimidate the committee members, threatening them with criminal prosecutions.
President Biden said the pardons should not be misconstrued as an admission of guilt or an acknowledgment of any wrongdoing by the individuals pardoned. Instead, he said they are an effort to protect these public servants from baseless and politically motivated investigations that can cause significant harm to their lives, safety, and financial security, even when they have done nothing wrong and are likely to be exonerated.
The President has affirmed his belief in the rule of law and his optimism that the strength of the nation's legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics. He has expressed gratitude to these public servants for their tireless commitment to the country.
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