WASHINGTON — Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said Tuesday he and Donald Trump aren't seeing eye to eye on one of the president's nominations for the Justice Department.
Trump nominated Ed Martin to be the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C, the top federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia.
Martin, a Missouri lawyer and conservative activist, is serving as the acting U.S. attorney for D.C. The nomination is notable as the office led prosecutions related to the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, and Martin has defended some of those charged in connection with the attack.
Martin's nomination has faced strong opposition from both Democrats and key Senate Republicans, particularly over Martin’s support for Jan. 6 defendants and his lack of prosecutorial experience.
That includes Tillis, who told Raw Story that while he understands where Martin is coming from with regard to the "over prosecution" of Jan. 6, they're "probably at odds."
"I need somebody in that role who believes that every single person that came into this building illegally probably should've suffered some consequences," said Tillis. "Probably not three or 10 years in prison. But they all should've had a fine and they all should've had a penalty."
That's where Tillis said they have a fundamental "disagreement."
"We've got to make it very clear: You come into this Capitol, you're going to get fined, you're going to go to prison, you made a bad mistake. No rationalization," he added.
Tillis said Martin needs to make it clear that under his watch, anyone who enters the Capitol unlawfully will be prosecuted.
Martin served as a defense attorney for several people charged in the attack and has publicly advocated for those accused, raised money for their legal defenses, and was associated with organizations supporting defendants. As acting U.S. attorney, he also dismissed charges against some Capitol riot defendants and reassigned or fired prosecutors who worked on those cases.