Reports have emerged that President Biden's White House is contemplating preemptive pardons for Dr. Anthony Fauci, Sen.-elect Adam Schiff, and former Rep. Liz Cheney. White House counsel Ed Siskel is said to be leading discussions on the matter with senior Biden aides, excluding the president himself.
The discussions also involve whether the individuals in question would accept such pardons, as it could be perceived as an admission of wrongdoing and potentially fuel criticisms from the incoming Trump administration.
Concerns over possible future inquiries or indictments, particularly with the appointment of Kash Patel as the next FBI director by Trump, have driven the talks of preemptive pardons. Rep. Brendan Boyle and Sen. Ed Markey have both voiced support for such pardons, drawing parallels to former President Gerald Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon.
Both Schiff and Cheney played key roles in the Jan. 6 select committee investigating the Capitol riot, while Fauci faces renewed scrutiny following a House subcommittee report on the COVID-19 pandemic response. The report highlighted Fauci's stance on the lab-leak theory and his testimony on COVID-19 guidelines.
The report criticized Fauci for downplaying the lab-leak theory and misleading the public on NIH funding of gain-of-function research. It also questioned his testimony on social distancing and mask mandates, suggesting a lack of scientific basis for certain COVID-19 policies.
The discussions around preemptive pardons come amidst a backdrop of political tensions and concerns over potential legal actions in the transition to the new administration in January.
