A Senate committee voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress and refer him to the Justice Department for potential prosecution over his refusal to answer questions at a hearing last week focused on his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pardons can only be retrospective: they can only cover past events. So Biden (or any president) cannot pardon someone for a contempt charge that relates to a court appearance that happened after that president left office. So no chicanery required.
But the notion that you can be held in contempt of Congress for pleading the Fifth is insanely unjust. Which is not to say that the corrupt Supreme Court wouldn’t uphold it.
Pardons can only be retrospective: they can only cover past events. So Biden (or any president) cannot pardon someone for a contempt charge that relates to a court appearance that happened after that president left office. So no chicanery required.
But the notion that you can be held in contempt of Congress for pleading the Fifth is insanely unjust. Which is not to say that the corrupt Supreme Court wouldn’t uphold it.