Former federal prosecutors for D.C. sign memo opposing Ed Martin as D.C. U.S. attorney

[BumRushDaShow]

Last edited Tue Apr 29, 2025, 06:31 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: CBS News

Updated on: April 28, 2025 / 6:13 PM EDT


Nearly 100 former employees and prosecutors for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C., have signed a memo opposing President Trump's nominee to lead the office.

The memo is the latest effort by critics of acting D.C. U.S. Attorney Ed Martin to stop his Senate confirmation for the permanent role, which is among the most powerful federal prosecutor positions in the country. The letter was signed by a group of former prosecutors who served in the D.C. U.S. Attorney's Office across seven decades, under administrations from Lyndon B. Johnson's through Joe Biden's. The memo, a copy of which was shared with CBS News, called for the rejection fo Martin's nomination.

"There is a time when we all are called to stand for the full and fair administration of justice and the rule of law," the memo says. "For those of us who have served in the Office of the United States Attorney and still have a breath, that time is now. And the message we speak is, reject — outright and completely — the proposed nominee. Whether our message is futile or not, it is an expression of our conscience and a matter of principle that we deliver with all of the strength that we can muster."

Martin began serving as interim U.S. attorney for D.C. hours after President Trump's inauguration and was soon nominated for the Senate-confirmed post. His nomination has been a flashpoint of controversy since the beginning of the Trump administration. Martin lacks any prosecutorial experience, served as an advocate in the "Stop the Steal" movement denying the 2020 election results, worked as a defense lawyer on Jan. 6 Capitol riot cases and fired some of the lawyers who prosecuted Jan. 6 defendants.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-federal-prosecutors-d-c-sign-memo-opposing-ed-martin-as-d-c-u-s-attorney/

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Link to MEMO (PDF viewer) - https://www.scribd.com/document/855100863/Marin-Letter

[Onthefly]

1. ProPublica: Who is Ed Martin

When President Donald Trump chose Ed Martin, the Missouri lawyer and political operative, to be the top U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., the decision came as a shock to current and former federal prosecutors as well as outside legal experts. Martin had no prosecutorial experience. He was best known as a conservative activist, the former right-hand man to influential anti-feminist icon Phyllis Schlafly and a loyal Trump surrogate.

Since taking charge of the office in January, Martin has launched controversial investigations, rushed to defend Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and vowed to change how his office prosecutes crime in the District of Columbia.

His actions have been met with fierce pushback from Democratic lawmakers, watchdog groups and legal experts. There have been at least four disciplinary complaints filed against him with the D.C. and Missouri bars. One of the D.C. complaints has been dismissed; the other three appear to be pending. If Martin has responded to the complaints, his statements have not been made public.

https://www.propublica.org/article/who-is-ed-martin-career-dc-us-attorney

[BumRushDaShow]

2. I literally just added a link to the letter

right around when you posted.

[Onthefly]

3. Excellent!

[moniss]

4. If garbage could put on a suit and tie it would be a

ringer for Ed Martin.