US President Joe Biden has issued pre-emptive pardons to several key officials in his administration, including Dr Anthony Fauci, retired General Mark Milley and members of the committee investigating the January 6, 2021 storming of the Capitol.. The decision comes amid concerns that Donald Trump, once back in office, could launch a campaign of harassment against his political opponents..

AP reports this. In announcing the pardons, Biden emphasized that the move was not an admission of any wrongdoing or guilt on the part of those he pardoned..

“The issuance of these pardons should not be misconstrued as an admission that any of these individuals were involved in any unlawful acts, nor should it be misconstrued as an admission of guilt in any offence,” he said.

He stressed that the nation is grateful to civil servants for their commitment to the country.

Biden's decision was a response to preliminary statements by Donald Trump, who announced that he has a list of " Among them are those who took part in the investigation of his role in the events of January 6, 2021. Biden seeks to prevent possible attempts to use justice for political revenge.

The errors, announced just hours before the end of Biden's presidency, have been the subject of heated debate for months at the highest levels of the White House..

In the US, pardons are usually used at the end of a presidential term for people already convicted of crimes.. Biden went much further, using this power preemptively against those who were not even under investigation. Critics fear it will set a precedent for future presidents who might use pardons as a way to encourage their supporters to act on the legal edge..

Biden's decision also raises questions about the legal basis for such actions. Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that presidents enjoy broad immunity from prosecution for what amount to official acts, but presidential aides and allies do not enjoy such protection..

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who headed the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for 40 years, has become one of Trump's main targets of criticism for his COVID-19 recommendations.. He refrained from commenting after the pardon was announced, but his close advisers said he believed the decision was necessary to protect public figures from political attacks..

Retired General Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, thanked Biden, saying: " Milley also mentioned how he was repeatedly accused of being disloyal to Trump while serving in senior military positions..

Biden also pardoned members and staff of the Jan. 6 committee that investigated the attack, as well as U.S. Capitol and D.C. Metropolitan Police officers who testified before a House committee about what happened to them that day when they were overwhelmed by an angry, violent mob. trump fans.

The committee spent 18 months investigating Trump and the insurrection..

It was led by Representative Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, and Representative Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Republican who later pledged to vote for Democrat Kamala Harris and campaigned with her against Trump. The committee's final report found that Trump criminally engaged in a "

Recall that at the end of his term, US President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of drug-related crimes.. He pardoned and commuted the sentences of more prisoners than any of his predecessors.