Ed Martin: Trump's choice for DC prosecutor and right-wing activist

Ed Martin: Trump's choice for DC prosecutor and right-wing activist

As Trump administration officials prepared to nominate a veteran conservative lawyer as the top prosecutor in Washington, D.C., the right-wing activist who was temporarily in the position waged a public campaign to keep the job permanently.

Taking over official duties

Within hours of being named interim U.S. attorney for D.C. on President Donald Trump's Inauguration Day, Ed Martin used his powers to reject outstanding proceedings relating to January 6th. Thereafter dismissed he the public prosecutors involved and directed conduct an internal review to investigate possible misconduct.

Public support of Elon Musk

Martin also publicly allied himself with Elon Musk and offered to take legal action against anyone who threatened members of his team, which works in the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. People familiar with the matter said Martin's influence grew around Trump as he used his temporary powers to aggressively push a retaliatory agenda and documented his moves on social media, often criticizing Democrats and praising Trump.

Official appointment by Trump

On Monday, Trump announced that Martin, a fellow campaigner on 2020 election fraud claims and defender of the U.S. Capitol rioters, would receive the appointment he sought. This pushed Cully Stimson, who was originally slated for the role, into the background, although he recently had a meeting with Attorney General Pam Bondi at Mar-a-Lago to discuss priorities for the U.S. Attorney's Office. Trump had even told his allies that his choice for the position was Stimson.

Reactions within the public prosecutor's office

Martin's actions have rattled prosecutors in his office and led to new internal turmoil this week. The office's top prosecutor, Denise Cheung, resigned on Tuesday, after she refused to follow Martin and others' direction to launch a grand jury investigation into the Biden administration's climate funds.

Positive feedback from Trump

In a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump highlighted Martin's work as a legal intern at the federal appeals court as well as his previous legal work for the Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis. He said, "Since Inauguration Day, Ed has done an outstanding job as interim U.S. attorney, fighting tirelessly to restore law and order and make our capital city safe and beautiful."

Future prospects and challenges

Martin now faces confirmation by the Senate, which has a Republican majority of 53-47. His rise is notable because he was tapped to be the chief bureaucrat of the Office of Budget and Management after the November election.

Demoralization in the office

Some prosecutors in Martin's office reacted with horror to the appointment, according to current and former officials in touch with colleagues. A specific point of contention is Martin's background as a political activist and his lack of experience as a prosecutor. "People are demoralized," an official from Martin's office told CNN on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. “He has fired over a dozen experienced, trained, apolitical prosecutors and announced last week that he will quickly hire 20 new prosecutors.”

Overview of Martin’s political past

Martin, who briefly served as a CNN contributor in 2017, organized the "Stop The Steal" movement, which falsely claimed that the 2020 presidential election was rigged against Trump. CNN reported, that Martin helped fund Trump's infamous Ellipse rally on January 6, 2021. Martin later worked as a defense attorney for several people charged in connection with the Jan. 6 riots.

Summary of his views on abortion

As a conservative radio host, Martin held extreme anti-abortion views that went beyond Trump's proposed policies. He argued that women who have abortions should be prosecuted. Martin called for a national ban on abortion with no exceptions for rape and incest, making it clear that exceptions should not be the rule.

Martin’s handling of leaks

Martin is already known in his office for his near-daily emails to the entire staff, which are often full of typos and contain angry outbursts about leaks. After one of his first leaked emails, Martin lamented: "Wow, what a disappointment that my email from yesterday was leaked almost immediately. Personally offensive and professionally unacceptable. I guess I've learned my lesson."

Martin placed himself heavily on social media, promising to take legal action against anyone who threatened or exposed employees of his so-called Department of Government Efficiency. “We will pursue them to the ends of the earth to hold them accountable,” Martin wrote in a public statement.