Outgoing interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin confirmed Monday that his office is conducting an investigation into several last-minute pardons issued by Joe Biden in the final hours of his administration.
In an interview with Daily Caller editorial director Vince Coglianese, Martin revealed that the Department of Justice is reviewing the scope and legality of Biden’s preemptive pardons, which were issued shortly before President Donald Trump was sworn into office for his second term in January 2025.
Martin stated that the investigation is focusing on possible corruption and abuse of the pardon power, specifically surrounding the unusually broad nature of the pardons and the individuals they covered.
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“It looks at least like something that you could be corrupt,” Martin said.
He compared the situation to former President Bill Clinton’s controversial pardon of financier Marc Rich, which drew scrutiny due to Rich’s connections and donations to Clinton allies.
“That’s not corrupt, it’s not criminal, because the plenary power of the pardon,” Martin said.
“But in the case of Joe Biden and his pardons, they were so specific. Back 14 years, covering everything you’ve ever done. And when I say specific, they were broad, but they had time stuff on them.”
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Martin continued, “That at least leads to questions, because the plenary power’s true. But the question is what is going on here, and I did get responses from some of them and those questions are ongoing.”
Among the most notable of the pardons was one issued to Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, on December 1, 2024.
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The pardon granted Hunter immunity from prosecution for any federal crimes committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024.
The sweeping pardon applied to a broad range of legal issues, including Hunter’s foreign business dealings, an illegal gun purchase conviction, and an ongoing federal tax case.
In June 2024, a jury in Delaware found Hunter Biden guilty of possessing a firearm while using illegal drugs and of making false statements on the gun purchase form in October 2018.
He also faced nine federal charges in California related to alleged failure to pay $1.4 million in federal taxes between 2016 and 2019.
In addition to Hunter, President Biden issued pardons to other members of his family.
His brother James Biden, who had been linked to Hunter’s overseas business operations, received a full pardon.
Biden also pardoned his brother Frank Biden, who had used his brother’s 2021 inauguration to promote his Florida-based law firm in connection with a lawsuit involving sugar industry interests.
Another controversial pardon was granted to the January 6 Select Committee and its most high-profile members.
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Former Republican Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois received broad immunity from prosecution for actions taken in their roles on the committee investigating the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
Both reportedly accepted the pardon prior to the end of Biden’s presidency.
Critics have raised concerns about the scope of the pardons and the timing, arguing that they may have been designed to shield Biden’s political allies and family members from potential legal consequences.
Martin’s office is now examining whether any elements of these actions crossed legal or ethical lines, despite the president’s constitutional authority to issue pardons.
The White House has not issued a formal response to news of the investigation.
The Department of Justice has not provided a timeline for when the inquiry will conclude.
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“ possible corruption ??l” In the BiDum administration it is a given — bank on it— bet your house on it—- corruption is Biden middle name!!!!
President Trump claims pardons made by Biden in the last minutes of his presidency have been “VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT” since the former commander-in-chief used “Autopen.”
If he does attempt to abolish the pardons via an executive order, that decision will likely end up in court.
Can you see Biden testifying in court?
“What day and where were you when you approved the EO?”
“Can you recall the names on the pardon for us?”
He has dementia and it is going to be embarrassing.
Now we know that Biden was not cognizant during the last few months of Presidency, seems he didn’t knowingly make the pardons himself but who did then? Seems the autopen accusation seems probable that someone else took the actions we now deem suspicious. We need an investigation into the Democratic party and how they shielded Biden knowing he was not able to make any decisions on his own. His son, his brothers all were part of the Biden crime factory, pardoning them all seems he knew they all were guilty of crimes that could be punished in future indictments. Pardoning the J6 committee was also very suspect, especially the two republicans. All in all, we need to know, the DOJ should be doing an investigation regarding all of them. If Biden was not capable of doing the pardons himself, who did?