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Biden Team Considers Blanket Pardons Amid Concerns of Trump’s Retribution

In Citizen
January 19, 2025

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The Biden administration is reportedly discussing the possibility of granting blanket pardons before Trump takes office, as they fear he may seek retribution against those he deems as enemies based on his choices for key law enforcement positions.

Written by Peter Baker and Erica L. Green

Writing from the capital

President Biden’s team is currently discussing the possibility of granting pardons to a group of individuals who are seen as enemies by President-elect Donald J. Trump. This is being considered in order to shield them from any potential retaliation that Trump has reportedly threatened once he assumes office.

The suggestion is to proactively grant executive clemency to a group of current and former government officials for any potential offenses committed over several years, in order to prevent the next president from seeking revenge as promised during their campaign.

Officials in the White House are concerned that President Trump’s choices for key positions in the Justice Department suggest he may act on his promises of seeking retaliation. While they do not believe the potential recipients have done anything wrong, they fear that investigations could be lengthy and costly, even if no charges are ultimately filed. This could have a detrimental impact on their finances and future career opportunities.

Talks about blanket pardons have been primarily happening among staff members, although President Biden has discussed it with senior members of his team. This information comes from sources who spoke anonymously to share details of internal discussions. The discussion comes after President Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, to prevent him from facing prison time for gun and tax offenses.

During a briefing on Friday, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, chose not to talk about blanket pardons. She did mention that President Biden is thinking about potential executive clemency actions before his term ends. Jean-Pierre stated, "The president is currently evaluating his options and there will be further updates to follow."

Mr. Biden hinted at his approach by pardoning his son, clearing him of both the charges he was found guilty of and any potential crimes he may have been involved in since 2014. This move could potentially prevent the Justice Department under Mr. Trump from pursuing Hunter Biden for any accusations that were not deemed worthy of charges by the prosecutor who has been investigating him since Mr. Trump’s first term.

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