United States President Joe Biden has pardoned members of the 2021 Capitol riot investigation committee in the final hours of his presidency.
President-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated in a few hours, returning to the White House for a second term.
An attempt to reclaim the presidency in 2020 was botched after he lost to Biden.
During a joint session of congress on January 6, 2021, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The event was characterised as an insurrection aimed at preventing the certification of Biden’s victory.
Following the attack, congress established a committee to investigate and report on the facts, circumstances, and causes of the insurrection.
Nearly 1,600 suspects have been charged, 1,270 convicted so far, and only two were acquitted.
Trump has promised to pardon those convicted for their role in the January 6 attack on day one of his presidency.
In a preemptive decision on Monday, Biden announced a pardon for members of the investigative committee.
“I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics. But these are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing,” the outgoing president said in a statement explaining his decision.
“Baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety, and financial security of targeted individuals and their families. Even when individuals have done nothing wrong—and in fact have done the right thing—and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage reputations and finances.
“That is why I am exercising my authority under the Constitution to pardon General Mark A. Milley, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the Members of Congress and staff who served on the Select Committee, and the U.S. Capitol and D.C. Metropolitan police officers who testified before the Select Committee.”
Biden clarified that “the issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense”.
He said the pardons are a debt of gratitude for their “tireless commitment” to the US.
