Ed Martin anticipated becoming U.S. Attorney in D.C. but was rejected by the Republican-controlled Senate due to his January 6 association and other conduct. His interim tenure ended with an ethical complaint for dropping charges for a former client, threats against Democratic lawmakers, and a record suggesting poor grammar. Trump appointed him to lead the DOJ's Weaponization Working Group without Senate confirmation. Martin stated he would prosecute when possible and publicly name individuals when prosecutions were unavailable, effectively threatening reputational harm. Martin opened a grand jury inquiry into New York AG Letitia James and appeared outside her home.
Ed Martin expected to be the U.S. Attorney in D.C. in this administration. Unfortunately, even the Republican-controlled Senate found the January 6 cheerleader too irredeemably stupid to trust with safety scissors, let alone one of the most important prosecutorial offices in the country. While Trump made up new rules to keep nominees like Alina Habba in office, that wasn't political capital the president was willing to spend on Martin.
In taking on the job, he even said the quiet part out loud, admitting that he planned to use the DOJ to harass the president's enemies even if there's no legal basis for it. "If they can be charged, we'll charge them," Martin explained, correctly describing his job and the ethical rules governing the institution. "But if they can't be charged, we will name them... in a culture that respects shame, they should be people that are ashamed."
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