FACT CHECK: Facebook Post Makes False Claim About Ninth Circuit Court Of Appeals, Biden Pardons

A post shared on Facebook claims the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals purportedly ruled that 84 of former President Joe Biden’s last-minute pardons are “unconstitutional.”

Verdict: False

The claim is false and originally stems from a Feb. 13 post shared on Facebook by a satirical page. A spokesperson for the Court denied the claim to Check Your Fact via email.

Fact Check:

Ahead of his departure, Biden pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, and the House committee that investigated Jan. 6, according to The Associated Press. Biden also pardoned members of his family before leaving office, The New York Times reported.

The Facebook post claims the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals purportedly ruled that 84 of Biden’s last-minute pardons are “unconstitutional.”

“The very LIBERAL 9th Circuit Court has ruled that 84 of Biden’s last-minute pardons are unconstitutional,” the post begins.

“Judge Joe Barron wrote in his opinion: ‘There is no precedent for pardoning someone who hasn’t been charged with a crime. President Biden’s pre-emptive pardons are, therefore, outside the constraints of constitutional law.’ The Solicitor General is expected to turn the cases over to the Department of Justice for prosecution,” it continues.

The claim is false and originally stems from a Feb. 13 post shared on Facebook by “America’s Last Line of Defense,” which is a satirical page. “The flagship of the ALLOD network of trollery and propaganda for cash. Nothing on this page is real,” the page describes itself via the “Intro” section of its profile.

Likewise, there does not appear to be a “Judge Joe Barron” included in a list of Judges shared via the “About” page on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ website. The claim is not referenced on the Court’s “News” page, either. In addition, President Donald Trump has not publicly commented on the claim. (RELATED: X Video Does Not Show Trump’s New Marine One Helicopter)

Check Your Fact also did not find any credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Feb. 14, Lead Stories debunked the claim, indicating it originally stemmed from the same satirical Facebook page.

Furthermore, a spokesperson for the Court denied the claim to Check Your Fact via email.

“Our office is not aware of any such case or ruling,” the spokesperson said.