In a non-standard move this december‚ Joe Bidenʼs senior staff started talks about pre-emptive pardons - an idea that hasnt been fully tested before. The president knows about these discussions but stays away from them letting his team handle initial planning
The talks got more active after Biden gave his son Hunter a pardon last winter; this made some folk think about wider protection needs. Jeff Zients and Ed Siskel (who are top White House officials) lead the process looking at different options and possible outcomes
The list of people being looked at includes some well-known names:
- Liz Cheney - ex-GOP representative
- Anthony Fauci - covid-19 response leader
- Adam Schiff - soon-to-be California Senator
- Mark Milley - past military chief
One big question remains - do these people even want pardons: its not a simple yes-or-no choice. The White House team needs to think about what message this would send to everyone. Karine Jean-Pierre (the press secretary) hinted that more pardons are coming up before term ends
The Constitution lets presidents give pardons but using them before any charges exist is kinda rare - its like giving someone an umbrella when the sky is clear. The whole thing got more urgent after Kash Patel‚ who might run FBI next year made some strong statements about going after certain officials