
Inauguration (Part 4a): Pardons (Biden)

Part 4a of a series of commentaries on the key aspects of the Inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States.
Presidential pardons have always caused short lived controversies at the time they were granted. The one that has endured in the public consciousness – for obvious reasons –was President Ford’s pre-emptive pardon of President Nixon. This year, the outgoing and incoming presidents created a furor with their unprecedented pardons – granted to an unusually large number of people for very different reasons.
Despite the understandable claims of partisan fans, President Biden does not have much of an enduring legacy. I covered that in greater detail in a previous commentary. While he made a effort to pump life into his legacy with a series of farewell addresses, his end of office pardons collapsed his legacy like the shell of a burned out building.
It starred early on when Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, for any and all federal crimes he committed – or may have committed – since January 1, 2014 – three years before Trump assumed office. Interesting, the pardon goes back to the days when Old Joe was still Vice President. I found that very curious. That covers the time when half the Biden family were engaged in questionable international dealings that may or may not have involved Joe as the “Big Guy” who was in for 10 percent of something.
Biden was forced to issue the pardon early since Hunter was facing a trial on tax evasion charges. It was a case that could have cast the light on the Biden family dealings. As a reason, Biden claimed that HIS Justice Department and HIS attorney general were weaponized against his son. Worse excuse since “the dog ate the homework.”
Biden then pardoned more than 1500 MOSTLY low-level drug offenders. He also commuted the death sentences of virtually all death row prisoners — including Leonard Peltier, a Native American who murdered two FBI agents … Ferrone Claiborne and Terence Richardson, involved in the killing of Police Officer Allen Gibson… Daniel Troya and Ricardo Sanchez, who killed an entire family, … and 32 others.
I had predicted that Biden would issue pardons for his family, but when he and Trump assembled on the dais for the inauguration, I was ready to write my mea culpa.
Suddenly MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow broke in to announce that just before the Bidens left the White House to travel to the Capitol. He issued the notorious pardons for members of the Biden family and others.
When the names of all those pardoned at the last minute were reported, it became apparent that even I underestimated what a sleazy hack politician Biden can be.
In terms of the family, Biden pardoned his brother James and his wife Sara … his sister Valerie and her husband John Owens … and his brother Francis. He said the pardons were not “an admission of guilt.” Maybe not an admission, but a strong and reasonable suspicion. A lot of that Ukrainian, Chinese and Russian money wound up in the hands of a number of Biden family members – even younger children,
As if that were not bad enough, Biden went on a pardoning frenzy with members, staff and witnesses of the January 6th Committee, including the notorious Liz Cheney. Also, those who played roles in the two impeachments, or were just outspoken Trump critics, such as Dr. Anthony Fauci. Again, these were pardons to folks who are not even under investigation. It does cast a shadow of suspicion over them. If it were me – and I was confident in my innocence of any crimes – I would reject the pardon to clear my name of any suspicion
It seems apparent that Biden is seriously worried that his family have potential legal problems. The rest of the record number of pardons and commutations were merely camouflage.
But will it work?
While the Biden family is free of federal indictments for any crimes they may have committed, they are not immune from investigation, Also, there are others involved in Hunter’s business dealing who are not covered by the pardons – including Biden, himself.
Even more problematic for the Biden family is that they no longer have Fifth Amendment protection. They cannot refuse to testify in any investigation. Hypothetically, if the Justice Department were to develop a case against Biden as the Big Guy, everyone of his pardoned family members could be subpoenaed and forced to testify – or face jail time.
In terms of pardons, Biden can be justifiably criticized for breaking his promise not to pardon Hunter … the political nature of many of his pardons … and the manner in which he executed them. Yes, Biden has a legacy. It is not a good one or a historically memorable one – and the pardons did not change that.
So, there ‘tis.
Larry, Interesting that you chose to discuss pardons by Biden. It is obvious to most of us (but not to ignoramusses such as yourself) that Biden was attempting to stave off actual witch hunts by Trumps toadies in congress. The people that were pardoned for the most part had been threatened with investigation if trump should return to power, basically investigation for political benefit. The house wasted two years investigating Hunter and came up with zilch. Blaming his DOJ for Hunters problems-entirely reasonable in that the investigator tasked with that procedure was a conservative and not a Biden supporter. I know you can’t fathom that, but Biden did not try to control his DOJ-in effect it was not ‘his’. As for the commutation of most death row inmates-they were not released from prison, they will be there for the rest of their lives, and reflect his (and most of us) opposition to the death penalty. Now can we discuss trumps pardons a moment? He released violent men to the streets, so violent that the people that informed on them are concerned for their lives. There you have the real travesty of justice-but trump decided that it was too much work to weed out the ones that he possibly should not pardon, so “just release them all” were his words. Lazy bastard is what you have elected as president….
Well, Mike f, looks like you are a Biden lover. Spoiler alert – no one is perfect unless you think you are perfect. Last I knew, the only perfect man hasn’t even walked the surface of this earth for over 2,000 years. Seems ignoramus fits more than who you deemed so. But you do have the right to stand up for what you think is right as do the rest of the entire population of Earth. Larry is doing that. Darren, too and me. We all do not agree with each other. We do have to agree to disagree with good debate. To me, it doesn’t seem you want any debate at all. Why? I demand you have Trump arrested for doing what you think he did that fake Biden really did. Don’t let a criminal get away. You want Trump to be arrested so bad you can taste it. I want Biden arrested so bad I can taste it. I do not believe Trump is guilty of any nefarious crimes or any crime. I believe it was all a set up. Please do not aid and abet your criminal Biden. You know what happens with that. Criminals stand together, that is a fact. Larry and the other authors put articles out for us to read and debate with a side of his beliefs thrown in. Nothing wrong with that. Do you know for a fact that Trump committed any crimes? Crimes other than what the biased DOJ has on record? Those lawyers and Judges are now being taken to task and even arrested. So much for ignoramus. There is my debate!
I guess when one looks through Shit collard Glasses, everything looks like Shit!
Biden Slapped and Screwed every person in this country ever accused of Federal Crimes!
It does not matter if he Pardoned the people on death row to stay in prison.
What about the people serving life sentences without death row charges.
This just put them on the same footing and all the efforts from keeping them off death row was useless.
What about the people that went to prison for Bullshit charges? ( Think Martha Stewart )
Her charge was not even about making money, just getting a different tax write off!
What effect did Biden’s payments from foreign country’s to his family Make in way of policy that effect ALL OF US?
If people do not like Trumps policy’s, then send me some of my tax money I spent to help line Biden and his family’s pockets.
Better yet, bring back some of the dead form either Covid Bull Shit or people lost in the Ukraine and Gaza war.
The money spent there was a payday to the Military industrial Complex as Biden Kissed there Asses with
our money and the lives of individuals from around the world.
Blatant Treason from the border to the back room foreign deals JUST FOR MONEY!
Again 48% of this Country is too Stupid to see it.
Maybe that is why the Democrats have been trying to destroy our education system!
Nice rant Darren. Wow. you paint Biden as one evil dude.
He a crime lord taking money from our enemies that you know to be true but are impotent to get indictments. And Biden is not that rich.
Martha Stewart was on the GOP watch. And it was insider trading and obstruction and it was totally about saving her cash as she dumped a day before the stock crashed. The broker giving her the inside skinny got hit too. It was 5 months plus 2 years supervised. She did ok.
I live in liberal NJ. We have the best or second best public school system in America because we are Democrats.
The Covid response was set by Trump. The national response was the worst of developed nations and terrible against all nations. In the first wave, it hit blue states and we got murdered by Trump’s response. The later wave hit red states where they got murdered by not being vaccinated, not wearing masks, and crowding together for anti-fauci festivals. It’s estimated Trump’s response killed 250,000 and that’s his top appointee talking. Others credit him for up to 509,000 dead. I am more towards the 250k, but we came in at 222 out of 238 countries, for worst deaths per million. If Trump’s response got us to 100, we save 350,000 souls.
Does your personal life really change that much under Biden? My life under Trump does not change that much even as I bitch about his politics and policies. I mean him killing folks with Covid didn’t change my reaction. I gave a lot of the stimulus away to charity, no diff there. His tax cuts cost me, but I made more money to cover. Whatever he does to immigrants won’t hurt me any more than others. And I will continue to make more money although I made even more under Biden.
So suddenly your life really change that much under Biden? I mean the inflation was tricky, but just a few months. And I took the opportunity of higher interest to invest in low risk fixed assets so making salary on interest alone. But really, my life did not change dramatically with either party at the helm. But yours did, right?
Larry, now that you’ve got all the above about Biden’s legacy and pardons off your chest was it cathartic?
Doubtful it cured your Biden psychosis. PBP is bound to publish your opinion commentaries and you are not done with the Bidens, that is clear.
Unless vindictive Trump 2.0 sicks his DOJ on Hunter with a nefarious investigation that will be a waste of taxpayers’ funds. The DOJ move on to bigger fish that Trump’s department of injustice is ordered to fry.
Here, again, you write with the lament all armchair presidents are heard making, saying if I was king of this world, this all would not have happened. In deed if it did, I would set all thing right.
That would be the political right. And time will show that Trump on the right knows not what is right for the country.
Larry, with your stiff conservative perspective it would be unlike you to study Trump 2.0 in an objective nonpartisan perspective. And, truthfully the majority of your commentaries opine on what in your view the other party’s failings are at a particular moment.You’re consistent, at least, and predictable. Sarcasm snd negativity directed at 50% plus of Americans’ ideology with no hope of changing a single person’s perspective must be daunting. A political evangelist your are not. But, keep preaching to your tone deaf choir like you are doing and everything will be right in your tribe’s silo.
Assuming what you write are the actual facts must be a comfort to you. That the stories in your articles read like Fractured Fairytales cartoons because they
Are told out of context.
Shock and awe writing that misrepresents actual facts seems to mesh with conspiracies on the right.
See where that professionally has ended up.
Oh God, another Biden worshipper that refuses to see the light! Another that loves crime and most probably is also part of the Deep State or would have seen the truth and the light! Hunter has already been investigated. He was also executed in 2019. Do the damn research and stop telling Larry off. You have no right to do that. You can have your opinion but not tell an author off. It is rude. Were you born in a barn or on the wrong side of the tracks? When did you join the Deep State? It sure looks like you did with your filth you spew! And I do not mean Larry. He is a great author and does not lie. All he says is what I have seen on many other websites. So how the Hell do you think he does not know what he is saying to us? Huh? Go after those other websites for the same thing you accuse Larry of. But you are a scaredy cat and won’t do that because you get away with it here. Chicken! I am standing up for what is right and the Hell with low class idiots like you that loves crime!
AF give it up. Trump lovers like him for his nonexistent policies he only says he has plans in the works but nothing organized. And because he is outrageously unconventional and over the top manic about what he believes are his powers as POTUS.
Trump’s blustery word to the governments of the world is saber rattling he can’t back up and economic posturing about imposing tariffs that backfire costing consumers and not countries of imported goods.
Trump’s art of the deal is a ruse. Should the Trump presidency not crash and burn from crossing multiple ethical lines then that will indicate that he has defied democratic governance and set up authoritarian top down rule. And the GOP/MAGA party has capitulated and handed over to Trump their freedoms.
When a series of markets tank and money becomes tight before the 2026 midterms, then the truth will out. The political aspirations will tank and the country will flip blue. Trump 2.0 with its cakewalk will be over. Even republicans won’t be fooled all the time. You all will sober up and see your error, or not.
Larry, is there a 4b comment forthcoming? Your 4a Inaugural Address had nothing about what Trump said. You don’t appear to be done with what you think Biden did that should be investigated.
You call the DOJ was responses by Biden and you call him an authoritarian He was no more an authoritarian than you are Ukrainian
Your party’s flag hugging dancing queen will show which president is the authoritarian as he runs roughshod over the Constitution’s rights and amendments.
Trump has already gone do far off the rails that he has given the term “unprecedented” a bad name and had made it’s use meaningless, because is the personification of hyperbole.
If you’re out there Larry and not wary of Trump’s affect on the economy, on world confidence in the U.S. continued stabilizing force, and our government becoming bought up by American Oligarchs
Don’t you see outside money buying the last election. Elon Musk was front and center in a bidding war for the election win for Trump.
This all is not going to end well for any of us, Trump drives we the people into the ground.
AC …. Of course there was a 4b.