Biden is expected to issue more pardons before leaving office Monday
The timing of the clemency actions, should Biden decide to grant them, is likely to be during his final hours in office and could include preemptive pardons.
President Joe Biden is expected to make further use of his clemency power before leaving office next week, potentially extending pre-emptive pardons to individuals who could be targeted for retribution by President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration, according to a senior White House official and a person familiar with the discussions.
Biden has not made a final decision on any pardons for people in that group, the White House official said on Friday.
The timing for the clemency actions, should Biden decide to grant them, is likely to be during his final hours in office — on Sunday or before noon on Monday, the two sources said, though timing is subject to change.
On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to prosecute his political opponents during a second term.
NBC News previously reported that Biden was considering pre-emptive pardons for potential targets of that retribution, including Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a manager during Trump’s first impeachment; Dr. Anthony Fauci, a former top infectious diseases expert who locked horns with Trump over his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic; and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who served as vice chair of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack and campaigned with Vice President Kamala Harris against Trump last year.
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