Biden pardons family members in final minutes of presidency

President Joe Biden pardoned several members of his immediate family Monday in the final minutes of his presidency.

“My family has been subjected to relentless attacks and threats, motivated solely by the desire to harm me – the worst form of partisan politics,” Biden wrote in a statement. “Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end.”

“That is why I am exercising my authority under the Constitution to pardon James B. Biden, Sara Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John T. Owens, and Francis W. Biden,” he continued. “The granting of these pardons should not be misconstrued as an acknowledgment that they have committed any wrongdoing, nor should their acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense.”

The five preemptive pardons were granted to James Biden, Joe’s younger brother; Sara Jones Biden, James’s wife; Valerie Biden Owens, Joe’s younger sister; John T. Owens, Valerie’s husband; and Francis W. Biden, Joe’s younger brother.

While sitting in the Capitol rotunda to watch President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, Biden announced preemptive pardons for his siblings and in-laws.

“I believe in the rule of law and am hopeful that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics. But baseless, 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 will ultimately be exonerated, simply being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage their reputations and finances,” Biden said.

“The granting of these pardons should not be confused with an acknowledgment that they have committed wrongdoing, nor should their acceptance be construed as an admission of guilt for any offense,” Biden said.

This comes after Biden granted a controversial pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, in early December on tax evasion and federal gun charges. Biden had repeatedly said he had no plans to pardon Hunter.

James Biden, 75, is particularly criticized by Republicans.

Congressional Republicans have pressed the new Justice Department to bring charges against James Biden for allegedly lying to Congress as part of his impeachment inquiry into the outgoing president and his family.

Paul Fishman, an attorney who represents James and Sara Biden, said in a statement to ABC News: “Jim and Sara Biden did not request this pardon because they never committed crimes. But for the reasons described by the president, they accepted it. “.

James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, wrote to new Attorney General Pam Bondi on Friday demanding accountability from James Biden for “misleading Congress regarding Joe Biden’s involvement in his family’s influence peddling and deserving prosecution under federal law.”

Comer and his Republican colleagues had already filed a criminal complaint against James Biden with the Justice Department. Comer responded to Biden’s family’s preemptive pardons, saying they were “an admission of their corruption.”

The pardon warrant, signed on January 19, excuses James Biden and other members of his family from “ANY NON-VIOLENT OFFENSE against the United States that they may have committed or participated in during the period from January 1, 2014 until the date of this pardon. “.

These are the second preemptive pardons granted by the outgoing president on Monday, which is not an unusual act for outgoing leaders. He also pardoned potential targets of the new Trump administration, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley and lawmakers who served on the House committee on January 6.

“Our nation relies on dedicated and selfless public servants every day. They are the lifeblood of our democracy,” Biden said in a statement. “Yet it is worrying that civil servants are continually subjected to threats and intimidation for faithfully carrying out their duties. »

ABC News’ Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.