Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., on Monday questioned whether "the extent of the pardons" granted by former President Joe Biden was "necessary," reports the Hill.
Biden in one of his final acts as president, pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley and members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, in an extraordinary use of executive power to guard against potential "revenge" by the new Trump administration.
He also pardoned his siblings and their spouses on his way out of the White House, saying Monday that his family had been "subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me — the worst kind of partisan politics."
Murphy said he had "real sympathy for the position that Trump has put Biden and his family [in]."
"There are real unique threats that are presented to the Biden family by Trump's obsession with targeting his political opponents."
But, he told reporters, "it's probably time for us to take a look at the way the pardon system is being used."
"I have sympathy for President Biden, but I don't know that the extent of the pardons he granted was necessary, and I don't think any of us can be satisfied with the way that Trump or Biden used the pardon authority, one of the most extensive and sweeping executive powers that are available today."
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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