Trump taps Martin for DOJ pardon attorney, ‘weaponization' role
President Trump plans to put Ed Martin, his first pick for U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., who was rebuffed by the Senate, in a far-reaching role at the Justice Department.
In a Thursday evening post on his social media site, Trump said Martin would serve as both the head of a new Weaponization Working Group and as the U.S. pardon attorney from a perch in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General.
'Ed will make sure we finally investigate the Weaponization of our Government under the Biden Regime, and provide much needed Justice for its victims,' Trump wrote.
Trump indicated Thursday that he would pull Martin's nomination after Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said he would not vote to advance the attorney out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, effectively killing his nomination after a string of controversies.
Trump then said Thursday in the Oval Office that he hoped to find a role in the Justice Department for the controversial attorney.
The Weaponization Working Group was established by Attorney General Pam Bondi and lays out clear objectives — mandating review of special counsel Jack Smith's work and 'the pursuit of improper investigative tactics' related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
As pardon attorney, Martin would also be responsible for reviewing petitions of those hoping to have their sentences commuted or be pardoned by the president — a group that already includes former GOP Rep. George Santos (N.Y.).
The Trump administration fired the prior pardon attorney, Liz Oyer, after she said she declined to recommend actor Mel Gibson have his gun rights restored. She was later informed U.S. Marshals were set to be dispatched to her house to deliver a letter asking her not to testify when she agreed to appear at a panel organized by congressional Democrats.
Martin, who previously worked for Phyllis Schlafley's Eagle Forum, responded to the news by tweeting, 'Eagle Unleashed.'
Martin, who was already serving as interim U.S. Attorney for D.C., took a number of remarkable moves in his short tenure in the post.
A former 'Stop the Steal' speaker, Martin represented several Jan. 6 defendants in trials, while one of his first moves in his current post was to reassign or dismiss prosecutors on those cases.
He also simultaneously represented one client while moving to dismiss charges against him as U.S. attorney, doing the same for all cases in the wake of broad pardons issued by Trump on his first day in office.
He also wrote a public letter to Elon Musk threatening to use his prosecutorial platform to go after those who 'even acted simply unethically,' later launching investigations into two Democratic lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Martin has sent letters to Georgetown University threatening to investigate the school over its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and more recently he sent letters to a D.C.-based medical marijuana dispensary saying it was 'operating in violation of federal law.'
Trump also announced Thursday that he would put Jeanine Pirro, a Fox News host and former judge, in the U.S. Attorney post in D.C. on an interim basis. Like Martin, she may only serve in the post for 120 days, and Trump did not make clear whether he plans to formally nominate her.
Beyond his description as being 'unleashed,' Martin also retweeted a post from conservative political activist Charlie Kirk.
'The left got its wish. Ed Martin won't be U.S. attorney for D.C. Instead, he'll get a senior DOJ job heading the investigation into Biden-era weaponization of the DOJ against conservatives,' Kirk wrote.
'Be careful what you wish for, libs. You just might get it!'
Updated at 10:56 a.m.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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