Ex-FBI agent charged in Capitol riot gets key role in Trump task force
When Trump returned to the White House in January, he picked Martin to serve as interim US Attorney for the District of Columbia. But the president pulled his nomination to keep the job on a more permanent basis two days after a key Republican senator said he could not support Martin for the job due to his defence of Capitol rioters.Martin was a leading figure in Trump's 'Stop the Steal' movement. He spoke at a rally in Washington on the eve of the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. He represented three January 6 defendants and served on the board of the nonprofit Patriot Freedom Project, which reports raising over USD 2.5 million to support riot defendants.advertisementMartin was a leading figure in Trump's 'Stop the Steal' movement. He spoke at a rally in Washington on the eve of the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. He represented three January 6 defendants and served on the board of the nonprofit Patriot Freedom Project, which reports raising over USD 2.5 million to support riot defendants.Attorney General Pam Bondi called for creating the 'weaponization' group in February to investigate claims by Trump and Republican allies that the Justice Department unfairly targeted conservatives during President Joe Biden's administration. The group's review includes the work of former special counsel Jack Smith, who led two federal prosecutions of Trump that were ultimately abandoned after Trump was elected to a second term.Fox News host Jeanine Pirro replaced Martin as the top federal prosecutor in Washington, but Martin immediately moved over to his current Justice Department position.Wise, who worked as a special agent or supervisory special agent for the FBI from 2004 through 2017, was arrested in Oregon on Capitol riot-related misdemeanour charges in May 2023.Wise repeatedly shouted, 'Kill 'em!' as he watched rioters assaulting officers outside the Capitol, according to an FBI agent's affidavit. Wise clapped his hands and raised his arms 'in triumph' after he entered the building through the Senate wing door, the affidavit says. He left the building about nine minutes after entering.advertisementPolice body camera footage showed Wise berating police officers outside the Capitol and repeatedly shouting, 'Shame on you!''I'm former law enforcement,' he told them. "You're disgusting. You are the Nazi. You are the Gestapo. You can't see it.'Wise was on trial in Washington when Trump returned to the White House in January and immediately pardoned, commuted prison sentences or ordered the dismissal of cases for all of the nearly 1,600 people charged in the attack. The case against Wise was dismissed before the jury reached a verdict.- Ends
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