Outgoing President Joe Biden's last-minute move to pardon Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, and members and witnesses of the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 protests at the Capitol will likely face legal challenges, Fred Fleitz, a senior fellow at the America First Policy Institute, said on Newsmax Monday.
"I don't understand how an individual can be pardoned for something that he hasn't been charged for yet," Fleitz, a former National Security Council chief of staff for the first Trump administration and CIA analyst, commented after news broke about Biden's pardon.
Biden, in the hours before President-elect Donald Trump takes his oath of office, said he issued his pardons to guard against "revenge" by the incoming administration, and said the Jan. 6 committee and witnesses "do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions."
"I'm wondering whether this is legal or constitutional, but I'll make another point," said Fleitz. "Biden said in a statement that it should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any of these individuals are admitting guilt for engaging in wrongdoing. No. When you accept a pardon, you're admitting that you engage in some kind of wrongdoing."
He added that the Jan. 6 protesters were "overprosecuted," leaving some in prison for "just wandering into the Capitol," so he thinks pardons for them are appropriate.
"But for people who haven't been charged with anything, they're going to be pardoned for future charges over a certain period of time," said Fleitz. "Talk about an abuse of presidential power. I think this is going to go to court."
Meanwhile, Fleitz said he wonders who else Biden will pardon before Trump is sworn in, and he believes one of them will be his brother, James, who last year testified before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee during its investigation of the president and his family.
Fleitz on Monday also said that Trump's inauguration this time around is different as there will be Democrats who are ready to work with him.
"Last time the Democrats tried to block every nomination, every law he tried to put forward? said Fleitz. "There were all these investigations. There was the Russian collusion hoax. None of that is there now. And I think Trump can go forward in his acceptance address and say, I want to unify the country and there will be Democrats ready to work with him."
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
- Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
- Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE – See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com