Biden issues pre-emptive pardons for Fauci and Jan 6 riot committee

“These public servants have served our nation with honour and distinction and do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions,” Biden said in his statement.

He added that the pardons should “not be mistaken as an acknowledgment” that any of those covered “engaged in any wrongdoing”.

Democrats had warned the outgoing president against such action. Adam Schiff, a Senator for California, said Biden could set a “precedent” for “each president hereafter on their way out the door giving out a broad category of pardons”.

Trump in December backed a call for the FBI to investigate fellow Republican Liz Cheney over her role in leading Congress’s probe of the 6 January riot.

Mr Fauci – who oversaw the US response to the Covid-19 pandemic – has been frequently criticised by Trump and his political allies.

General Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the journalist Bob Woodward last year that he feared being re-called to uniform and court-martialled for “disloyalty” by Trump.

According to Woodward, he warned colleagues that Trump was a “walking, talking advertisement of what he’s trying to do”. He noted that Steve Bannon, a key Trump ally, has vowed to “hold him accountable”.

Biden’s pardons cover members of the House Select Committee investigating the 6 January 2021 riot, as well as their staff members and the officers who testified.

Trump is set to pardon some of those convicted of crimes related to the riot.

“You’re going to see something tomorrow,” Trump said on Sunday, in reference to the 6 January rioters. “I think you’ll be very, very happy.”

On the campaign trail, Trump sometimes railed against “enemies from within”, and has endorsed several figures who have vowed retribution against his foes to join his cabinet.

However, his choice for attorney general, Pam Bondi, said during her confirmation hearing last week that there would never be an enemies list and that she would not use the Justice Department to target anyone based on their politics.