One of the remarkable powers of the US president is the ability to pardon federal crime/s.
Traditionally, pardons are granted to those serving a prison sentence after being convicted of a crime. They are often granted in extenuating circumstances, such as there being a terminal illness. The power to pardon is essentially unfettered.
After saying repeatedly that he would never do so, ‘good catholic’ Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter last December. [Yes, that was sarcasm!] Not only did Biden pardon Hunter’s two guilty verdicts of tax evasion & improper firearm application, but he preemptively pardoned ALL of Hunter’s federal crime/s between 1 January 2014 to 1 December 2024. By doing so, Joe changed the use of the pardon — forever.
Monday this week, Biden preemptively pardoned the J6 committee, Dr. Fauci, General Milley and others. Then, immediately just before leaving office, Joe — or whomever has been directing his presidential affairs — preemptively pardoned most of the immediate Biden family.
What deduction can people make of such blanket preemptive pardons for ALL federal crimes? Naturally the Lefties will claim that it is “just preventive” so Trump will not penalize them later. Rational people will conclude that they are guilty of some crime/s which needed to be pardoned before they get caught…and are appropriately prosecuted. Even in Trump’s America, innocent people do not need preemptive pardons. (Curiously, Biden did not pardon his wife, Jill, nor did he attempt to pardon himself.)
The power to pardon:
The presidential power to pardon is essentially unfettered.
The Constitution of the US: Article II, Section 2, Clause 1:
The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
Below is an abbreviated analysis taken from:
https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S2-C1-3-1/ALDE_00013316/
…the power has been recognized by the Supreme Court as quite broad. In the 1886 case Ex parte Garland, the Court referred to the President’s authority to pardon as unlimited except in cases of impeachment, extending to every offence known to the law and able to be exercised either before legal proceedings are taken, or during their pendency, or after conviction and judgment. Much later, the Court wrote that the broad power conferred in the Constitution gives the President plenary authority to 'forgive’ [a] convicted person in part or entirely, to reduce a penalty in terms of a specified number of years, or to alter it with certain conditions.
Despite the breadth of the President’s authority under the Pardon Clause, the Constitution’s text provides for at least two limits on the power: first, clemency may only be granted for Offenses against the United States, meaning that state criminal offenses and federal or state civil claims are not covered. Second, the President’s clemency authority cannot be used in Cases of impeachment.
…the President may not preemptively immunize future criminal conduct.
Assuming the recognized limitations are not transgressed, a full pardon granted by the President and accepted by its subject prevents or removes any of the penalties and disabilities consequent upon conviction.
…Subsequent cases appear to have backed away from this understanding, suggesting instead that, although a full pardon precludes punishment for the offense in question, a prior and pardoned offense may still be considered in subsequent proceedings.
Congress generally cannot substantively constrain the President’s pardon authority through legislation, as the Court has held that the power of the President is not subject to legislative control.
Note that the pardon must be accepted by the person to be in effect: nor can it be forced upon the subject. Also, accepting a pardon is generally considered to be an admission of guilt:
So, a “Crime Family”?
Six members of the Biden family have been accused of various business-related, sex-related, drug, influence-peddling and legal accountability crimes. (The five below with Hunter Biden.) They received a blanket pardon covering all federal crimes for an ~11 year period! (1# January 2014 to December 2024 for Hunter & to 19 January 2025 for the remainder.)
HUNTER
Hunter’s pardon is “For those offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014, through December 1, 2024.”
This spans the time Hunter was on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma and his business dealings in China, while his father was vice-president.
Joe Biden with Hunter and Hunter’s ‘business associates.’
Unfortunately, it also pardons possible seedier crimes which could include drug and sex crimes. Hunter admits to profligate activity with drugs and prostitutes, but there are also allegations of underage sexual activity.
“…evidence found on the abandoned laptop were emails showing Hunter introduced his father, then-Vice President Joe Biden, to a top executive at a Ukrainian energy firm where Hunter, 54, sat on the board.
Documents also showed Hunter was paid a $1million retainer in 2017 to represent his business partner Patrick Ho, who was being prosecuted by the US government, and that CEFC wired the Biden family a total of $5million.
One startling email even indicated the president could have been involved in Hunter's business dealings with the Chinese.”
Fauci
Dr. Anthony Stephen Fauci is best known as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) from 1984 to 2022, and then as the chief medical advisor to president Biden, 2021 to 2022.
Biden Fauci claimed credit for the quick rollout of the COVID vaccine but many now question the long-term safety of the shot. Even more seriously, he may have funded the “Gain of Function” research on the COVID virus at the Wuhan laboratory. Then, he spent US$61 million on research using aborted fetal tissue.
Milley
Milley is a retired US army general and was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
He made strange comments — under oath — at a senate hearing about calls he made to Chinese General Li Zuocheng. Milley noted that he had given his personal opinion that Trump did not intent to attack China and seems to have said that he would call the Chinese in the event that Trump was going to initiate an attack. Some believe that doing so would be tantamount to treason.
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Allan Schiff & J6 Committee
The US Justice Department apparently cautioned J6 committee members that acceptance of the pardon is a confession of guilt that they did commit a crime.
In 2020 Joy Reid interviewed Adam Schiff (who lead the first Trump impeachment and was on the J6 committee) and asked him if he had heard of an innocent person getting a pardon — bet you can guess his answer!
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Conclusion
Of note, presidential pardons do not relieve civil suits nor crimes committed at the State level. Similarly, a presidential pardon does not relieve any military court martial — and in certain circumstances, a retired member of the US armed forces can be court martialled.
Biden’s preemptive pardons stink of guilt — yet again Joe has succeeded in bringing disrepute to the name of “Catholic.”
Kevin Hay.
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