Biden pardons his siblings and their spouses as he vacates White House

Joe Biden has pardoned his siblings and their spouses on his way out of the White House, claiming that his family had been "subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me — the worst kind of partisan politics."

"Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end," Biden said on Monday as his presidential term ended.

The family pardons were the surprise finale in a series of unprecedented presidential actions by the Democrat, who has been known as an intuitionalist during his half-century in politics.

Biden also pardoned former Republican lawmaker Liz Cheney, Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired General Mark Milley, and members of the House committee that investigated the January 6 attack on the Capitol and allies who have been targeted by Republican President Donald Trump. He was sworn in on Monday.

"I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics," Biden said. "But these are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing," he said. "These public servants have served our nation with honor and distinction and do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions."

It was a remarkable use of Biden's presidential power.

Trump, during his campaign, repeatedly suggested he would seek to use the Justice Department to exact retribution against his perceived political foes.

His pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi, told lawmakers during her confirmation hearing last week that the department would not prosecute anyone for political purposes. But she refused to rule out potential investigations into Trump adversaries, including the special counsel who brought two federal criminal cases against Trump that have since been abandoned.

Last month, Biden pardoned his son Hunter for tax and gun crimes, despite his previous pledges not to do so.

Biden issued blanket pardons for his brother James and his wife, Sara; his sister, Valerie, and her husband, John Owens; and his brother Francis.

"The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that they engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense," he said in a statement.