Trump pardons Rudy Giuliani and others who backed bid to overturn 2020 election

Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Picture: Seth Wenig/AP

US President Donald Trump has pardoned his former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, his former chief of staff Mark Meadows and others accused of backing the Republican’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, according to a Justice Department official.

Ed Martin, the government’s pardon attorney, posted on social media a signed proclamation of the “full, complete, and unconditional” pardon, which also names conservative lawyers Sidney Powell and John Eastman.

The proclamation explicitly says the pardon does not apply to Mr Trump.

Presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes and none of the allies was charged in federal cases. But the move underscores Mr Trump’s efforts to continue to rewrite the history of the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

The White House did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.