In a unprecedented move President Joe Biden and his team are looking into using presidential pardons in an unusual way before leaving office. The White-house legal department leads talks about protecting government workers and allies from possible unfair treatment (when the new administration takes over)
The idea — which hasnt been tried before in this way — shows how the transfer of power raises complex questions. Biden discussed this with his top advisers but nobody made final choices yet; the whole thing might not even happen
White House sources (who dont want their names used) say the discussions are still in early stages: these talks focus on using the Constitutionʼs pardon power in a way thats different from past presidents. The legal team is checking how far such pardons could go and what risks they might bring
The talks show a careful balance between protecting people and not over-using presidential powers. Its worth noting that while the discussions are happening behind-the-scenes many experts think this kind of broad pardon would be something new in U.S political history