Trump nominee facing 'vocal opposition' from law enforcement — and 'concern' from Republicans

02 May

Donald Trump

After President Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential race to Democratic nominee Joe Biden, Ed Martin Jr. was among the far-right MAGA attorneys who aggressively supported the "Stop the Steal" movement and Trump's efforts to overturn the election results. Martin went on to defend some of the rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.

Now, Martin is the interim lead prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) District of Columbia office. But in order to be appointed to the position permanently, he will need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. And according to reporting from the Associated Press (AP), Martin is getting a strong pushback from some DOJ veterans and career prosecutors.

In an article published on May 2, AP reporters Michael Kunzelman, Alanna Durkin Richer and Mary Clare Jalonick explain, "Ed Martin Jr., a conservative activist with modest legal experience who has defended rioters who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021, is testing Republican Party loyalties as a deadline approaches for the Senate to decide whether to extend or end his brief but tumultuous tenure as leader of the country's largest U.S. attorney's office. Martin's nomination faces vocal opposition from hundreds of veterans of the office that he is leading on an interim basis."

The AP reporters add, "Democrats are trying to tie up his confirmation vote. And Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee have said they need more time to review his record."

According to Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois — the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee — Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who chairs that committee, may announce "that we are not going to move forward on the Martin nomination."

Kunzelman, Richer and Jalonick report, "Grassley demurred, saying he would wait to talk about Martin until the (Judiciary) Committee scheduled a vote…. It was hardly a ringing endorsement of Martin, who hasn't spent much time in courtrooms but has been a devoted loyalist to Trump."

The AP journalists continue, "Within days of taking office in January, Martin fired or demoted veteran attorneys who prosecuted Trump supporters for storming the U.S. Capitol. Before his appointment, he represented and helped raise money for Capitol riot defendants. He frequently appeared on Russian state media to parrot Trump talking points. He even published coloring books glorifying Trump’s tweets."

When Politico asked Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) if he would vote to confirm Martin, the Texan responded, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is noncommittal on Martin as well, telling Politico, "I'm hearing that at least a couple members of the (Senate Judiciary) Committee have expressed some concerns about him…. If his nomination seems to be moving forward and it was clear that I was going to be in a position where I would have to vote on the floor — yeah, I would want to meet him."

Read the full Associated Press article at this link and Politico's reporting here.

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