U.S. President Donald Trump has granted full pardons to his former personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, and ex–chief of staff, Mark Meadows, for their involvement in attempts to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The announcement, made by pardon attorney Ed Martin, was published online on Sunday night.
Also included in the pardon list are conservative lawyers Sidney Powell and John Eastman.
The document states that the pardon is “full, complete, and unconditional”, but specifies that it does not apply to Trump himself.
None of the individuals named had been charged with federal offences, which is the only category covered by presidential pardons.
The Associated Press reports that the development points to Trump’s continued efforts to recast the events of the 2020 election, which he lost to Joe Biden.
The pardon also covers Republicans who acted as alternate electors for Trump in states won by Biden and who are facing state charges for submitting false certificates claiming they were duly appointed electors.
The proclamation described the prosecutions as “a grave national injustice perpetrated on the American people”.
It said the pardons were issued to continue “the process of national reconciliation”.