President Joe Biden issued pardons to several close family members Monday in the final minutes of his presidency.

Joe Biden in the final minutes of his presidency on Monday issued pardons to five more members of his family—his brother James and wife Sarah, his younger sister Valerie Biden Owens and husband John T. Owens, and his brother Francis Biden—after he says they were "subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats" motivated by a desire to hurt him.

Mr. Biden emphasized that he did not believe his family did anything wrong, but he feared political attacks by Donald J. Trump.

Joe Biden’s preemptive pardons are a valid use of pardon power. But they break new ground as a shield for those the president seeks to protect, scholars say.

It is hard to believe Joe Biden will let his presidency end without pardoning his brother. He has already taken the heat for his son, so why not a little more?

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Monday that there’s a double standard when it comes to former President Joe Biden’s preemptive pardons of his family members and President Donald Trump‘s pardons of Jan.

Joe Biden in some of his final acts as U.S. president on Monday pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired general Mark Milley, House committee members who investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and members of his own family.