Appearing U.S. Legal professional for the District of Columbia Ed Martin makes use of the nickname “The Eagle” on the job. He has been posting on social media about crime in Washington, D.C., utilizing the hashtag #MarchBadness. Martin, whose nomination for the everlasting put up of U.S. lawyer for D.C. is being thought-about by the Senate, has been attracting consideration along with his social media posts, in addition to a few of his actions in his capability as performing U.S. lawyer.
In a single on Saturday, Martin wrote, “Hey, thugs with weapons, you hear that? Yup, we comin.'”
He was probably referring to a memo circulated Monday to his employees, by which Martin mentioned over a dozen brokers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives can be dispatched to assist with an “wonderful alternative” to assist initiatives to scale back violent crime within the nation’s capital.
FILE – Ed Martin speaks at an occasion hosted by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., on the Capitol in Washington, June 13, 2023.
Amanda Andrade-Rhoades / AP
Martin’s new initiative seeks extra federal district courtroom prosecutions of Washington, D.C., gun crimes. His memo, obtained by CBS Information, mentioned his workplace is “kicking off the Make DC Secure Once more initiative,” which echoes the Make America Nice Once more slogan invoked by Trump.
“We’re following the path of President Trump and (Legal professional) Normal Bondi within the current government orders and memoranda. We’ll flood the federal district courtroom with circumstances—to make our metropolis protected,” the memo mentioned. This has been tried earlier than. In February 2019, a Trump-appointed federal prosecutor introduced a mission to hunt higher-level expenses for gun circumstances within the District of Columbia.
The U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for D.C. and the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives D.C. subject workplace declined requests for remark.
Whereas he waits for his affirmation vote, Martin has continued to courtroom controversy with provocative social posts.
In a social media put up Saturday, Martin wrote that his predecessor was a “Biden prosecutor” who “upped political prosecutions, he steered assets to a now-debunked authorized idea that focused Americans, and gun prosecutions went down. Actually. Let me be clear: he used our $ to chase political hoaxes whereas the folks of DC had been terrorized by thugs with weapons.”
The U.S. lawyer for the D.C. has a novel skill to deal with federal crimes within the nation’s capital, together with these involving federal officers and services. As U.S. lawyer for D.C., Martin days in the past demoted a bunch of prime senior prosecutors within the workplace to entry stage positions, together with those that helped with the Jan. 6 Capitol rebellion prosecutions. Now, not less than some are being assigned to deal with misdemeanor circumstances
His demotions have induced inside dissension, based on a number of sources who spoke with CBS Information.
Martin has filed a collection of courtroom motions to assist promptly shut out most of the pending Capitol riot prosecutions. Earlier than his appointment, Martin served as a protection lawyer for Capitol riot defendants and was an lively member of the “Cease the Steal” motion, which promoted baseless claims of election fraud in 2020.
Final month, Martin instructed his employees to reply to surveys, searching for details about “5 issues” they’d achieved that week, from Elon Musk’s Division of Authorities Effectivity. Martin additionally instructed employees to reply to the second survey that was emailed over the weekend.
Martin can be underneath new scrutiny by congressional Democrats after writing a social media put up final month by which he referred to U.S. attorneys as “Trump’s attorneys,” who’re “vigilant in standing towards entities just like the [Associated Press] that refuse to place America first.”
However U.S. attorneys aren’t the president’s attorneys. Their mission is to make sure that federal legal guidelines are enforced. Of their districts, they’re additionally concerned in civil litigations the place the U.S. is a celebration.
Martin additionally posted a word to the legislation agency Covington & Burling and former particular counsel Jack Smith to “save your receipts” and promised, “We’ll be in contact quickly.” The message included a hyperlink to a narrative noting the agency was defending Smith professional bono. Smith indicted President Trump in two separate circumstances.
Home Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer praised Martin in an announcement, saying, “By nominating Ed Martin to be the following U.S. Legal professional for the District of Columbia, President Donald Trump wasted no time delivering on his promise to revive legislation and order in our capital metropolis.”
However Rep. Gerry Connolly, a Virginia Democrat who’s the rating member on the committee, has launched an investigation into Martin’s initiatives and actions as performing U.S. lawyer. He wrote a letter to Martin questioning his public statements which, he mentioned, “are directed solely at opponents of and specific help for the Trump Administration, explicitly criticize the Biden Administration, publicize pending investigative exercise by your workplace, and make assertions of reality for which there exists no proof.”
Martin’s statements “elevate severe issues that your new initiative is a pretext for misusing your workplace for political ends, threatening and intimidating critics of the Administration, and chilling constitutionally protected speech,” Connolly added.
A spokesperson for Martin declined to remark.
The Home Oversight Committee Democrats’ inquiry ordered Martin to submit responses by March 11 about how the workplace would search to guard the security of Capitol cops and federal prosecutors who had been a part of the Jan. 6 prosecutions. The inquiry additionally asks Martin to “verify your perception that the Division of Justice represents america of America and its residents, and never the private and particular person political or enterprise pursuits of the President.”
Extra from CBS Information
Scott MacFarlane
