A member of the Jan. 6 committee asserts that pardons are unnecessary: "We acted within the law."

Rep. Pete Aguilar, a top Democrat on the congressional committee investigating President-elect Donald Trump's alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election, does not anticipate any favors from the outgoing commander-in-chief.

He stated that he believes a preemptive pardon from President Joe Biden, shielding him from Trump's possible retaliation, is unnecessary because the Jan. 6 committee did not commit any wrongdoing.

Aguilar stated to reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday that she believes a pardon is not required and that she remains committed to the committee's work.

Aguilar, a California Democrat, stated that he has not requested a pardon and has not spoken to anyone at the White House about one. Planet Chronicle Digital contacted Aguilar to inquire if he would accept a pardon if it were granted, but did not receive a response.

The House committee investigating Jan. 6 has been divided among its members regarding the significance of a preemptive pardon. While some are concerned that it may set a negative precedent for future presidents and believe that the Constitution's speech and debate clause offers sufficient protection against criminal or civil legal actions for their legislative activities, others are in favor of a pardon, fearing potential "retribution" from Trump.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., who chaired the Jan. 6 committee investigating Trump, revealed that he spoke with the White House last month about the possibility of receiving a pardon for himself and other committee members, and stated that he would accept a pardon from Biden if it were granted.

"Thompson stated this week that he believes Donald Trump when he says he will inflict retribution on him, Liz Cheney, and others."

No other committee members have indicated whether they would accept or decline a pardon from Biden, except for Thompson.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., stated on Tuesday that she has not communicated with the White House and has not made any attempts to do so.

Setting a precedent of presidents giving out broad categories of pardons upon leaving office would be incorrect, according to Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif, who served on the committee, and former GOP Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who argued against it.

During a Politico event this week, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., expressed uncertainty about the best course of action for Biden.

The pardon issue is a contentious topic among different individuals due to the threats being made against people who are simply carrying out their duties, such as the Jan. 6 prosecutors at the Department of Justice. According to Raskin, in a fair world, there would be no need for a pardon because the committee did not commit any wrongdoing.

Raskin expressed satisfaction that we have a president with intelligent advisors who can solve the issue.

In his final interview with a print publication last week, Biden stated that he was still considering preemptive pardons for Trump's political opponents. Additionally, he emphasized in the interview that he had personally advised Trump not to "seek revenge" when they met at the White House after the November election.

Trump has labeled Thompson and other Jan. 6 committee members as "thugs" and "creeps." In a recent interview on "Meet The Press," Trump accused the committee of destroying evidence and stated that all its members should be imprisoned.

Trump accused those people of committing a major crime after they deleted and destroyed a year and a half worth of testimony, which he believes is a lie.

On Tuesday, the Justice Department released a 137-page report detailing Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into Trump's alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Despite Trump's election victory, prosecutors were unable to proceed with the case. However, the report, according to Smith, reveals how Trump allegedly used "lies as a weapon to defeat a federal government function that is fundamental to the United States' democratic process."

The Jan. 6 committee concluded its investigation after 18 months and concluded that Trump was central to the events that led to the Capitol siege on Jan. 6, 2021. The committee also found enough evidence to convict him and passed on several criminal referrals to the Department of Justice.