Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., announced Tuesday that he’s placing a hold on President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C.
Ed Martin has been acting U.S. attorney for D.C. since Jan. 20, Inauguration Day. Schiff cited Martin’s “troubling conduct” during his time in office.
“For the past nine weeks, Ed Martin has consistently undermined the independence and abused the power of the U.S. Attorney’s office in DC — openly threatening and intimidating political opponents, dismissing charges against his own clients, firing public servants for their roles in legitimate investigations, and using his office as a cudgel to chill dissent and free speech,” Schiff said in a statement.
On Monday, roughly 100 former U.S. attorneys called on Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, to hold a confirmation hearing for Martin, asserting his behavior demands greater scrutiny. U.S. attorney nominees typically advance for a full floor vote without a hearing.
Martin has incurred criticism, in part, over demoting federal prosecutors who supervised prosecution of Jan. 6 defendants.
“No one embodies Donald Trump’s personal weaponization of the Justice Department more than Ed Martin. He is unfit to serve as a lawyer, let alone one with the resources — and cover from the Senate — to further twist the power of the law and law enforcement to go after Americans who stand up for the rule of law and for our democracy,” Schiff continued.
“With all of the power I am afforded as a United States Senator, I intend to place a hold on his nomination and block attempts to jam through his appointment at every stage,” he concluded.
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