Biden's last-minute clemency decisions were about safeguarding humanity and democracy. Leonard Peltier, after nearly 50 years behind bars, deserved to spend his final days at home due to his age and health. As for Biden's family, who faced politically motivated and evidence-lacking threats from Trump, the former president was forced to issue protective pardons for his kin amid a politically charged environment.
Biden's final acts disgraced his presidency by not only showing leniency to Leonard Peltier, a twice-convicted murderer but by shielding the Trump-characterized "Biden Crime Family" from accountability. His preemptive pardons for family members and political allies reek of corruption, undermining justice and public trust. Some major crimes will go uninvestigated thanks to Biden's swipe of a pen.
What's gotten lost in the weeds of this debate is the backstory of Leonard Peltier. While politicians squabble over who's more corrupt, they're ignoring decades of corruption at the hands of both parties, leading to the 50-year imprisonment of a well-intentioned activist. Not only was Peltier's trial tainted by evidence suppression and witness tampering, but the FBI was the one violently trespassing on Indian land — resulting in an activist going to jail for protesting human rights violations.