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Biden Preemptively Pardons His Family Marking Unprecedented Finale to His Presidency 

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WASHINGTON, USA – In a dramatic and unprecedented move during his final moments in office, President Joe Biden issued preemptive pardons for his brothers, James and Frank, his sister, Valerie, and their respective spouses.

The decision, announced as Biden stood inside the U.S. Capitol preparing to witness Donald Trump’s inauguration, underscores the outgoing president’s concerns over potential legal action against his family by the incoming administration.

A Move Rooted in Anticipated Political Retribution

According to sources familiar with Biden’s thinking, the decision to pardon family members was motivated by President Trump’s public pledge to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the Biden family.

Trump has repeatedly accused the Bidens of corruption, vowing to settle scores once in office.

Biden’s actions were foreshadowed in an exit interview with USA Today, where he warned Trump against using the justice system to retaliate against political opponents.

“There is no need, and it is counterintuitive for [Trump’s] interest to go back and try to settle scores,” Biden said during the interview.

However, Biden’s tone on Monday reflected a grim acknowledgement of the political realities he anticipates under the Trump administration.

“My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me—the worst kind of partisan politics,” Biden said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end.”

The Scope of Biden’s Pardons

The pardons for James, Frank, and Valerie Biden, as well as their spouses, came just weeks after Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who faced sentencing for federal tax and gun convictions.

Biden’s statement emphasized the toll that politically motivated investigations have taken on his family.

“Even when individuals have done nothing wrong and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage their reputations and finances,” Biden said.

The president also issued a commutation for Leonard Peltier, an 80-year-old Indigenous activist convicted in the 1975 killing of two FBI agents. Peltier, who has long maintained his innocence, will serve the remainder of his sentence at home.

Contradicting His Own Precedents

Biden’s decision stands in stark contrast to his stance on preemptive pardons during his transition to office in 2020.

At the time, Biden criticized then-President Trump for reportedly considering similar pardons for his children and himself.

“It concerns me, in terms of what kind of precedent it sets and how the rest of the world looks at us as a nation of laws and justice,” Biden told CNN’s Jake Tapper

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