Biden Considers Blanket Pardons Before Trump Takes Office

President Biden is considering whether he should issue blanket pardons to several of President-elect Trump’s perceived enemies, to protect them from possible “retribution” once he takes office. The idea behind blanket pardon would be to pre-emptively protect a list of current and former government officials for any possible crimes over a period of years. Current White House officials do not believe that the potential recipients have actually committed crimes, but they have grown increasingly worried that Mr. Trump could subject them to criminal investigations and possibly criminal charges. Even an investigation that results in no charges could drag on for months or years, costing those hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and crippling their career prospects. A blanket pardon would be similar to the one that President Biden issued to his son Hunter, to spare him from a possible prison sentence on gun and tax charges. Some of those possible recipients of a blanket pardon include: former U.S. Representative Liz Cheney, who was vice chair of the committee that investigated Mr. Trump for his role in the January 6, 2021, attack upon the Capitol: Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former top infectious disease advisor during the Covid-19 pandemic; Jack Smith, outgoing special counsel who prosecuted Mr. Trump; and, Democratic Senator-elect Adam Schiff, who acted as lead prosecutor in Mr. Trump’s first impeachment trial. Once a presidential pardon is given, it cannot be revoked by any court.