Five former prosecutors who worked on the effort to railroad those involved in the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol Building have demanded an investigation into President Donald Trump’s pick to become Washington, DC’s new top prosecutor.
Ed Martin has won his share of controversy over some of the moves he made while serving as interim US attorney for DC, especially related to the J6 prosecutions. CNN reported that the former prosecutors are calling on the disciplinary office for DC attorneys to launch an investigation into Martin.
Martin, who has been serving in the post on an interim basis since Trump returned to the White House, is a divisive pick for the job. After stepping into the position, he used his new powers to dismiss January 6 Capitol riot cases, fire prosecutors who were involved in the investigations, go after his and Trump’s political adversaries, and launch internal reviews in an attempt to find misconduct within the office.
The group wrote in a letter that Martin “has used his brief time in office to demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of a federal prosecutor, announcing investigations against his political opponents, aiding defendants he previously represented, and communicating improperly with those he did not.”
In addition to the five former prosecutors, the letter was also signed by prominent conservative lawyers from the Society for the Rule of Law, including retired federal Judge J. Michael Luttig, former Rep. Barbara Comstock, attorney George Conway, and Stuart Gerson, a lawyer who held top roles at the Justice Department under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
The letter pointed to a statement from Martin on the DC US attorney’s X account earlier this year in which he described himself and his colleagues as “Trump’s lawyers” to argue that he was abusing the power of the Justice Department. The letter said the social media post reinforced Martin’s public statements suggesting he was pursuing investigations into “perceived political enemies of himself and the President.”
“Mr. Martin’s client is not President Trump; it is the United States,” the letter states. “His assertion otherwise adds further evidence that his announced investigations are politically motivated.”
The letter further points out that Martin continued to represent a J6 defendant even after being appointed as interim US attorney. “He didn’t withdraw his representation of the man until after the case was dismissed by a federal judge in DC,” CNN noted.
Democrats have been busy trying to block Martin’s appointment. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) told CNN, “I hope the Republicans do their job. This man is unqualified, he’s abused the powers of that office. He’s made the strongest case you can make to be rejected for this position.”
Some Democrats have criticized Martin for his lack of experience as a federal prosecutor or judge. Others took issue with his involvement in the “Stop the Steal” movement as one of its organizers. He was present during the riot, which he described as “rowdy but nothing out of hand.”
Predictably, his decision to dismiss hundreds of J6 likely earned him the lion’s share of the left's enmity, given their obsession with the riot. Also, his investigations into the J6 prosecutors didn’t win him any brownie points with folks on the left.
Martin has also come under fire for making incendiary comments. He, like many, questioned former Vice President Kamala Harris’ alleged blackness and has been a vocal critic of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices.
So, does Martin have some issues? Sure. But the left is clearly overblowing this. For starters, Martin was not the only one to cast doubt on Harris’ decision to lean into her alleged Black heritage. Indeed, many Black people on social media also gave her the proverbial side-eye over the issue since she commonly identified more with her Indian side in the past.
The bottom line is that Martin’s stance on J6 is truly what infuriates the left. Shortly after President Trump was inaugurated, these people saw their most hallowed narrative fall apart as he pardoned those who were railroaded for being present at the Capitol building on that day.
The Democrats weaponized the justice system against these individuals, most of whom strolled peacefully in the halls of the building. Now, these people are free, and there is nothing Democrats can do about it. This, more than anything, animates their opposition to Martin’s appointment.