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By Jason Lemon and Andrew Stanton
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President Joe Biden announced a series of last-minute pardons before leaving office Monday, granting preemptive pardons to some family members and other GOP foes, as well as a posthumous pardon for Marcus Garvey, the late civil rights leader and founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association.
Biden announced pardons for several of his family members including less than an hour before leaving office. He raised concerns about "baseless and politically motivated investigation" that could "wreak havoc" on lives, even if they have done nothing wrong.
"My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me—the worst kind of partisan politics. Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end," Biden wrote.
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Earlier on Monday, he granted pardons to Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired General Mark Milley, and members of Congress and staff who served on the January 6 Select Committee, including arch-critic Liz Cheney. The sweeping clemency also extends to police officers who testified before the committee investigating the 2021 Capitol attack.
Fauci, the former chief medical adviser to the president, and Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had faced scrutiny from political opponents over their roles during the Trump administration.
The actions came as President-elect Donald Trump was set to take office on Monday.
Newsweek reached out to the White House and the Marcus Garvey Institute for comment on Sunday morning.
Why It Matters
The pardons protect several vehement critics of Trump, including some against whom he has vowed retribution, and targets of his supporters' criticism. The clemency decisions are also significant for their emphasis on racial justice, wrongful convictions, and addressing historical grievances.
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It also me Garvey's pardon in particular resonates deeply, as he was convicted in 1923 of mail fraud in a case widely seen as racially and politically motivated. His conviction has been a point of contention among scholars, civil rights activists and public figures for decades.
What To Know
"These clemency recipients have each made significant contributions to improving their communities," Biden said in a statement released by the White House. He emphasized that the individuals pardoned had shown exemplary rehabilitation or, in Garvey's case, symbolized a broader societal reckoning.
The full list of individuals granted clemency includes:
- Biden's siblings and their spouses: Biden issued pardons for his brothers James Biden and Francis Biden, sister Valerie Biden Owens, sister-in-law Sara Jones Biden and brother-in-law John Owens.
- Gerald Lundergan: Lundergan is a former Kentucky state legislator convicted in 2019 on campaign finance charges. The White House wrote that he "demonstrated remorse."
- Ernest William Cromartie: A former Columbia, South Carolina, councilman, Cromartie pleaded guilty in 2010 to tax evasion charges.
- Leonard Peltier: Biden commuted the sentence of the Native American rights activist, who was convicted of killing two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975.
- Anthony Fauci: Fauci was director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infection Diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic in Trump's first administration. He was the target of right-wing criticism over his stance on vaccines and the origin of the pandemic.
- Mark Milley: Milley was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Trump's first presidency. He has said Trump is a fascist and a "wannabe dictator."
- Members and staff of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol: Lawmakers involved in the final report were Chair Bennie Thompson, Vice Chair Liz Cheney, Zoe Lofgren, Adam Schiff, Pete Aguilar, Stephanie Murphy, Jamie Raskin, Elaine Luria and Adam Kinzinger.
- Marcus Mosiah Garvey: Garvey's 1923 mail fraud conviction led to his imprisonment and eventual deportation. Advocates have long argued that the case was driven by political motives aimed at silencing his activism. Biden's pardon acknowledges this historical injustice.
- Ravidath "Ravi" Ragbir: Convicted in 2001, Ragbir is now a well-known advocate for immigrant and faith communities. His conviction was for a non-violent offense, but he was sentenced to two years and six months in prison. Since his release, Ragbir "has advocated for vulnerable immigrant communities and families in New York and New Jersey," according to the White House.
- Don Leonard Scott, Jr.: Scott was previously convicted of a nonviolent drug offense in 1994 and was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, according to the White House. After his release, he worked as an attorney and went on to be elected to the Virginia Legislature in 2019. He became the first Black speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates in 2024.
- Kemba Smith Pradia: Pradia was convicted of a nonviolent drug offense in 1994 and was sentenced to 24 years in prison. She is a criminal justice advocate, and former President Bill Clinton commuted her sentence in 2000.
- Darryl Chambers: Convicted in 1998 of a nonviolent drug offense, Chambers was sentenced to 17 years' imprisonment. Chambers founded the Center for Structural Equity and is also the executive director of the Youth Empowered to Strive and Succeed Program.
Biden previously and controversially pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, last month after previously insisting he would never take such action. Hunter was set to be sentenced in two separate criminal cases: a felony gun charge and federal tax fraud. The president's son was convicted of three separate felony charges related to the 2018 purchase of a revolver in June 2024. He also admitted nine tax evasion charges in September.
Biden's decision to pardon Hunter drew widespread criticism from Republicans and many Democrats, with some suggesting the president's pardon power should be reformed.
Notably, Trump drew criticism during his first term after he pardoned a slate of political allies and Charles Kushner, his daughter Ivanka Trump's father-in-law. The president-elect has also promised to pardon many of his supporters convicted in the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot—an idea that has drawn substantial backlash.
Biden has reportedly considered giving preemptive pardons to some of Trump's most prominent critics, who the president-elect has suggested he may attempt to prosecute or jail once he takes office. The idea has drawn criticism from Biden critics, while some supporters have also suggested it could set a bad precedent.
What People Are Saying
President Joe Biden said in a White House statement on Sunday: "America is a country built on the promise of second chances. As President, I have used my clemency power to make that promise a reality by issuing more individual pardons and commutations than any other President in U.S. history."
Announcing new pardons Monday, Biden said: "These public servants have served our nation with honor and distinction and do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions."
**Julius Garvey, son of Marcus Garvey and chairman of the board of the Marcus Garvey Institute for Human Development, told Newsweek in a statement on Sunday: "**We thank President Biden for granting this posthumous pardon which will serve as the beginning of the process to completely clear my father's name of any wrongdoing which is important to our family and many millions of people across the world. Marcus Mosiah Garvey was a leader dedicated to the unity and development of African people and his inspiring vision from over 100 years ago is still relevant today. Now his meaningful message can be taught proudly to future generations."
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "The Jamaican Government welcomes the posthumous pardon of our National Hero the Right Excellent Marcus Mosiah Garvey. We consider this as a first step in the total exoneration, absolution and expungement of a historical wrong done to one of the most significant civil rights leader and Pan Africanist."
Janai Nelson, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, wrote on X: "Marcus Mosiah Garvey was posthumously pardoned by President Biden in 1 of the most powerful exercises of clemency in U.S. history. Garvey, father of the Pan-Africanist movement, civil & human rts leader, entrepreneur & global icon symbolizes Black liberation & self-determination."
What Happens Next
The clemency actions are seen as part of Biden's broader push for criminal justice reform, including efforts to address systemic inequities in sentencing and incarceration. Advocacy groups have called for additional reforms, including the expansion of clemency reviews to address the thousands of federal inmates serving lengthy sentences for non-violent offenses.
While the president's term may be ending, his actions have sparked renewed dialogue on the role of clemency in rectifying historical and systemic injustices.
Update, 01/19/25, 5:19 p.m. ET: A statement from Julius Garvey was added.
Update, 01/20/25, 7:58 a.m. and 12:40 p.m. ET: This article was updated with the pardons for Anthony Fauci, Mark Milley and Biden family members.
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