BREAKING: Joe Biden Quietly Pardons His Entire Family
In the moments of his presidency, Joe Biden quietly issued blanket pardons for five members of his family. The last minute decision follows preemptive pardons that were issued for Dr. Anthony Fauci, members of the January 6 Committee and General Mark Milley, regardless of whether they committed crimes or not.
Michael Lewitt, a former business partner of Jim Biden’s, testified that two companies that facilitated the efforts were partly owned by “members of the Qatari government.”
One company named in the testimony was directly partnered with Jim Biden as part of fundraising efforts that spanned several years. The second company provided financial backing for a series of loans that a now bankrupt hospital chain paid Jim Biden to arrange, according to documents and testimony provided by Lewitt as part of federal bankruptcy proceedings.
Now former President Biden on Monday issued a pardon for his brother, James, who was the subject of numerous congressional inquiries centered on Biden family’s alleged involvement in foreign influence peddling operations. Congressional investigators previously zeroed in on a $40,000 payment from James to Joe Biden that was classified as a “loan repayment.”
James Biden told House investigators that he did not believe the company, CEFC China Energy, was controlled by the Chinese government. Instead, he claimed that he “misspoke” when he told an IRS agent in 2022 that Hunter Biden, who was partnering with his uncle, had described CEFC executive Ye Jianming as a “protégé” of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Republicans accused James of lying to Congress and recommended criminal charges. They also suggested his dealings may have amounts to unregistered foreign lobbying, another crime.
James Biden
Joe Biden also followed up on his previous blanket pardon for his son, Hunter, in a statement made on his way out the door.
“My family has 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,” the outgoing president said in a statement minutes before leaving office.
“I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics. But baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety, and financial security of targeted individuals and their families. 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 added: “That is why I am exercising my power under the Constitution to pardon James B. Biden, [his wife] Sara Jones Biden, [first sister] Valerie Biden Owens, [her husband] John T. Owens, and [first brother] Francis W. Biden. 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.”
Washington DC USA – July 26, 2024 – President Biden, wearing Team USA Olympic jacket and accompanied by his sister Valerie and son Hunter, boards Marine One for a weekend at Camp David
The New York Post noted that Sara Biden was involved in some of her husband’s business dealings, while the outgoing president’s brother Frank allegedly used his brother’s name in business dealings.
Biden previously issued an unprecedentedly broad pardon for his troubled son, Hunter, which covered all of his conduct dating back to 2014. Hunter joined the board of Ukrainian energy firm Burisma in that year, while the December pardon got him off the hook for impending sentencing on federal gun and tax crimes.
James Biden, unlike his nephew, was not charged with any federal crimes by Special Counsel David Weiss. He did have extensive involvement in the family’s business dealings, however, including the ones that allegedly attempted to leverage Joe’s position.
The move to issue pardons for Biden family members likely indicates that the former president fears the prospect of future investigations into his family by the Trump-led Department of Justice.
Earlier in the day, Biden issued a series of preemptive pardons for Dr. Anthony Fauci, members of the January 6 Committee and General Mark Milley. The former president claimed that all of these individuals were in danger of “political targeting” from the Trump DOJ, even though they all have been accused of committing crimes.
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has recommended criminal charges against Dr. Anthony Fauci for lying to Congress, while the January 6 Committee has been accused of destroying evidence, coaching witnesses and selectively presenting evidence. Milley committed perhaps the most serious alleged offenses, as the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has bragged about calling the Chinese government in order to undermine Trump’s objectives.