Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) has placed a hold on President Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C. after a string of calls for investigations into Ed Martin.
Martin, who has never worked as a prosecutor, has described the Justice Department as Trump’s attorneys, launched investigations into two lawmakers, and fired and reassigned Jan. 6 prosecutors — all in the few short weeks he’s served as an interim U.S. attorney.
“In every way he can, Ed Martin has demolished the firewalls between the White House and his own office within the Department of Justice. Confirming him to serve permanently in the role he has already abused in his interim capacity would cross the prosecutorial Rubicon that every single Senator would come to regret and that would threaten the rights of Americans from all walks of life,” Schiff said in a statement.
“No one embodies Donald Trump’s personal weaponization of the Justice Department more than Ed Martin. He is unfit to serve as a lawyer, let alone one with the resources — and cover from the Senate — to further twist the power of the law and law enforcement to go after Americans who stand up for the rule of law and for our democracy. With all of the power I am afforded as a United States Senator, I intend to place a hold on his nomination and block attempts to jam through his appointment at every stage.”
Martin’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
No hearing has yet been scheduled for Martin, but a hold would represent a speed bump to bringing his nomination to the floor, requiring 50 votes to consider his nomination.
Martin is facing three different ethics complaints brought by lawmakers — two asking for investigations by the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General and one sent to the D.C. bar.
Martin had publicly sought to curry favor with Elon Musk, firing off photos of letters he’s drafted exclusively via the X platform owned by the billionaire Trump ally.
In those letters, he vowed to go after those who “even acted simply unethically,” saying he would “chase them to the ends of the earth to hold them accountable” and added that “no one is above the law.”
Those letters appeared to serve as the basis for later correspondence to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) asking about alleged “threats” they made against public officials. Martin’s investigation into Schumer for comments he made five years ago warning justices would “pay the price” in regard to an abortion case appears to have fallen by the wayside, according to reporting from The Washington Post.
Martin’s Jan. 6 connections — both before and after taking on his new role — have also caused alarm.
Martin flouted a subpoena by the now-disbanded Jan. 6 panel in relation to his role as a Stop the Steal organizer. He also later represented at least three defendants who were charged in connection with storming the Capitol.
Martin is facing requests for two different ethics investigations after he simultaneously was the attorney of record both for the Justice Department and a Jan. 6 defendant he represented, filing to dismiss his charges following Trump’s widespread pardons.
”It appears that he benefited one of his own clients after he was given this post in the US Attorney’s Office. That serious matter,” Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.), the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, previously told The Hill.
Martin has since sidelined prosecutors that worked on Jan. 6 cases, demoting several to entry-level positions.
“For the past nine weeks, Ed Martin has consistently undermined the independence and abused the power of the U.S. Attorney’s office in DC – openly threatening and intimidating political opponents, dismissing charges against his own clients, firing public servants for their roles in legitimate investigations, and using his office as a cudgel to chill dissent and free speech,” Schiff said.
While Martin’s office did not respond to request for comment, the Constitutional Rights PAC has launched a Stand With Ed Martin campaign, featuring a number of quotes from those supportive of the attorney, including the late Phyllis Schafly, who hired Martin for a leading role at her organization.
“Ed is a man of unwavering integrity. He stands on principle and always, always strives to do what is right, by the Constitution, the American People, and the Lord Jesus Christ,” the website states.
“This is precisely why President Donald Trump has asked him to serve in one of the most unsung, yet critical roles in his administration. Ed has been called to be the United States Attorney for Washington, DC, perhaps the most powerful prosecutor in the country, with the ability to shape the application of justice in our Nation’s Capital, routing out the sickness and corruption and bringing hope nee hope [sic] to America. And because you can trust him, the attacks will come.”
