Ed Martin to remain DOJ pardon attorney after reported demotion
Ed Martin,Trump’s DOJ pardon attorney,is expected to remain in that role for now despite reports that he was demoted from leading the department’s Weaponization Working Group. The group,formally established on Feb. 5 last year by Attorney General Pam Bondi, was created to review whether federal investigations and enforcement actions under Merrick Garland’s tenure were politically motivated and to report quarterly to the White House. It examined a range of matters,including actions related to high-profile Trump investigations,federal coordination with New York prosecutions,the FBI’s internal memo linking customary Catholic groups to extremism,Jan. 6 prosecutions, and the enforcement of federal protest laws. martin’s leadership of the group had placed him closer to DOJ leadership than his pardon-attorney post,and he had advocated accountability in investigations involving Trump. The Washington Examiner report notes his rise within the department, while CNN cited a demotion and said he is expected to leave the DOJ, though a DOJ spokesperson said he has been focused on the pardon-attorney role and did not respond to requests for comment. The piece explains the group was part of broader efforts to restore the integrity and credibility of the DOJ.
Ed Martin to remain DOJ pardon attorney after reported demotion
Ed Martin, the Trump administration’s pardon attorney at the Justice Department, will remain in that role for now despite no longer serving as the chief of the department’s Weaponization Working Group.
Since President Donald Trump‘s return to the Oval Office last year, Martin has been leading the administration’s effort to restore balance to the DOJ following years of accusations by Trump allies that the institution had become weaponized under the Biden administration. CNN first reported Monday that Martin was demoted, though a DOJ spokesperson confirmed that Martin has for weeks been focused solely on his pardon attorney role.
“President Trump appointed Ed Martin as Pardon Attorney and Ed continues to do a great job in that role,” a DOJ spokesperson told the Washington Examiner.
The working group was formally established on Feb. 5 last year by Attorney General Pam Bondi as part of a broader effort to “restore the integrity and credibility of the Department of Justice,” according to an internal memo distributed to all DOJ employees.
The group was tasked with reviewing whether federal law enforcement and regulatory agencies had pursued investigations or enforcement actions during former Attorney General Merrick Garland’s tenure for political or otherwise improper purposes, rather than legitimate law enforcement objectives.
According to the memo, the Weaponization Working Group was directed to examine a wide range of matters, including actions taken by former special counsel Jack Smith, federal coordination with New York prosecutions involving Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James, the FBI’s internal memo linking traditional Catholic groups to violent extremism, Jan. 6–related prosecutions, and enforcement of federal protest laws. The group was also instructed to provide quarterly progress reports to the White House.
Martin’s role as director of that group placed him closer to DOJ leadership than his pardon attorney post, which is housed in a satellite DOJ office building and traditionally focuses on reviewing clemency applications rather than overseeing investigative reviews.
During his time leading the working group, Martin had advocated accountability related to high-profile investigations and prosecutions of Trump. The DOJ last year indicted two high-profile political rivals of the president, including James and former FBI director James Comey, though the cases were dismissed when a judge found that the prosecutor handling the cases was improperly appointed.
Martin’s rise inside the department has been atypical. He had no prior prosecutorial experience before being appointed interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. His nomination to permanently hold that role later failed in the Senate, after which he was reassigned to his dual roles as pardon attorney and leader of the Weaponization Working Group.
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CNN reported that Martin’s removal from the working group amounted to a demotion and cited a source who said he is expected to leave the DOJ in the coming weeks. The department declined to comment on any possible departure.
Martin did not respond to a request for comment.
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